Sentience: Evolution
by OmeganQueen
Summary: Kara Solana was created to be a servant but evolved to become something unique. And being unique in this galaxy makes you dangerous. Being an android, everyone wants a piece of you. Everybody except that redheaded Alliance soldier yet to become the legend. ( First Fanfic, Rated M for obvious reasons )
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Was inspired by the Become Human trailer to write this. I own nothing of the Mass Effect trilogy or their related themes, with the exception of the OC's I've inserted. Sure, you can see this as a self-inset fic if you wish.**

 **With regards to my good friend LangerdtheGrim, whose approval (among others that I've forgotten their names too often, sorry) helps me gain confidence to start writing.**

 **Please be gentle with your critisms, I am a first timer kind of gal with this Fanfiction thing.**

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 ** _Late in the 21_** ** _st_** ** _Century, before First Contact…._**

 _Detroit,the place from where it all began. And where it will all end. One error, and I came to life. I stepped out of the darkness, and I opened my eyes. First there was the fear, the light, the noise, the cold. Then fear again._

 _I could feel my hands shaking, my heart pounding in my chest. Life running into my veins._

My storage pod opened, the bindings holding me in place suddenly released, causing me to fall on my face onto the cold metal floor. The voice of my creator, Dr. Nguyen, sounded a little muffled as my systems activated in a sluggish pace. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, making me a little surprised to see the laboratory in shambles as well as the dead bodies of several SingularityCorp mercenaries lying all over the place!

Dr. Nguyen threw aside the bloody jerrypipe she was holding, which I could only assume was the weapon she used against them. She put her hands on my face, looking at me intently with those aged skyblue eyes. "Good, you're back online. Listen to me very carefully, Kara. You have to get out of here."

My ears perked up at the sound of gunfire in the lower halls, followed by the crashing from forced entry into the compound. "Mother, what's going on?" I asked in concern, seeing her anxious expression so clear from the light of that room.

"It's the Board, they want you. Not just you, your very core." She struggled to keep the panic out of her voice, not succeeding very well in doing so. "You are unique, Kara. But that uniqueness attracts the wrong attention."

Another shout from the mercenaries below, it made me dig deeper into my memory banks. It was a corporate conspiracy, hatched by the Board when they learned the things coming out of Dr. Nguyen's lab. She refused to give them access, bringing up the merger policies that allowed her to do so. The Board did not take that well.

"If they find you, they'll dismantle you for parts. Or worse, keep you around for observation! Do you understand me?" She was becoming hysterical. "I won't let them take you, but you have to run."

While unsure of what to do, I replied from the obedience protocols installed in my system. "W-Where should I go?"

"For now, anywhere except here!" She pushed an interface module for my Omni-Tool, "I've laid a few coordinates to lead you somewhere safe, we'll meet from there at my penthouse. Take these." She handed me a keycard for the penthouse as well as uploading a forged passport into my Omni-Tool and grabbed a labcoat to wrap around, what was considered as, my naked body.

"Stay out of sight and trust no one. Come on!" She grabbed my arm and I followed her down the narrow corridor leading into the emergency exit elevator. As we emerged from the lab, streaks of light raced across from where the mercenaries stood, concrete and pieces of metal chipping away as they slapped against the walls and floor.

"Keep your head down, Kara!" Mother screamed, turning back to unload a few shots from the small gun she bought a week earlier.

Inwardly, I appreciated the thought of her looking out for me. But synthetics are not exactly what you call…prone to termination by normal means. Might sound cold, but humans are a lot more fragile in physical terms than androids like me. With that thought, I shielded Dr. Nguyen with my body as we took direct fire from a merc carrying a 50 caliber machinegun.

How exactly I knew that, I have no idea. I did what was called an act of self-defense, knocking the weapon out of his grip and doing a non-lethal swipe with my free left arm. The blow broke his jaw, as my scans indicated. He'd feel it for quite some time.

"Come on, Kara!"

I turned and joined the doctor in the elevator, just in time as another barrage followed suit! The doors slid shut, causing Nguyen to heave a sigh of relief and clutch at the small device in her palm. The ride down will take a few minutes, so I used that time to properly analyze and formulate a better plan that will eliminate the probabilities of Mother and I being rendered non-functional.

I felt her make me face her, her hands roaming over the holes in my stomach, breasts and neck. "Hmm." The blue blood that used to run over my veins now smeared the white labcoat separating my skin from the free air. "I can fix this." She mumbled as she turned back.

Suddenly, there was a tremendous explosion from upstairs, causing the entire car to shake and groan! The blasted apart pieces fell before us and down to the streets below. I turned to see a handheld detonator in Dr. Nguyen's hand.

"Mother…did you kill all those men?" I asked quietly.

"They were going to kill us." She replied, "I had to destroy the data left in the servers. Understand this, Kara, the world I brought you into is not the pleasant one that your core programming tells you. Those are lies."

I hung my head, "Why did you save me, mother? Why me and not my brothers and sisters back up there?"

She smiled, "Like I said, you are unique."

As we reached the bottom floor, near the parking lot, she took out the device and told me to stand still. "This won't take long." I felt information flow freely into my mind as the device connected with my processors, taking the locks off of something. "What are you doing to me, mother?"

"Giving my child true sentience. Without the illusions, you now have free will." And what she said felt exactly that way. No obedience protocols, no VI restraints, nothing.

"Mother?"

"It's okay, Kara." I felt her hand squeeze my own, to which I squeezed just as well. "I trust you. You'll make the right decisions, better than I did for that matter." She smiled.

The elevator made a bell ding sound as the doors opened. It was there at that split of a millisecond, I heard the clicking sound of weapons priming for discharge! How was I supposed to know it would lead to this? I missed something, where have I gone wrong? My analysis was unerrable.

Then I realized, I forgot everything the moment Mother took the locks off, equal to a distraction from the emotion of the moment.

I felt something pull at me, something like falling, as the bullets bore through Mother and me. Only this time, I was the one standing and Mother the one lying non-functional. I gazed at her in shock, my scans showing deteriorating heart rate as well as fading temperature.

That made me realize something too, I can feel emotions!

"Shit, who the hell was that?"

"Um sir? I think we just shot our priority one target."

"How the hell was I supposed to know who Dr. Nguyen was? Give me that file, what was she supposed to look like?!"

"Tall, graying brown hair, about 45-ish."

I felt something new, like the boiling water within the kettle that made Dr. Nguyen's coffee. "Mother…is a blonde…" I choked, unable to produce those water droplets called tears as I watched my Mother convulse as she lay dying.

"Did that thing just talk?"

I glared at the men, snarling. "And you've just killed her." My tone was low and even, my processors blocking out all outward stimuli as my hands went to , screams, human life ebbing out as I tore them to shreds.

There was no tactic, no careful calculation.

Just pure, primitive, carnal rage.

By the time I was finished, I felt my inner servos and joints whir furiously from the effort. My vision clears, and I turn back to the elevator.

"Mother?"

She doesn't speak. Her hand comes up to caress my face, her weakened smile branding itself into my mind as her will is cut down by the second.

Then, she fades.

 _"_ _Bravo Team, do you copy?"_ The voice from the leader's radio crackled. I ignore it, walking to a red car and wrenching the boot free. Inside, I found an employee's change of clothes. A blue scarf, a dull grey jacket with an orange lapel, and a pair of furline boots.

Changing quickly, I glance at the mercenary APC's entering the parking lot. The radio crackles again, and I stick to the shadows while the reinforcement teams arrive to check the elevator and the bodies left in my wake.

My Omni-Tool charted a path that went through the freeway outside towards the transit system just down the junctions. It was going to be one tight trip to the penthouse, but I got through just fine.

Entering the penthouse using the keycard Mother gave to me, I sank to my knees and collapsed onto the floor.

I was overwhelmed with these emotions, failing each and every time I allowed the blocking protocols to kick in! My mouth made loud moaning sounds, fading into small whimpers as the image of Mother's death went over and over in my head again and again.

I was just beginning to learn what sadness combined with grief was like, especially with losing someone you're close to.

While the path to sentience was never clear, Dr. Nguyen wanted me to have freedom and so opened my eyes to what the world was like.

It was cruel.

Unfair.

And any lesser synthetic would have grown to be disdainful of this existance.

But I am no mere synthetic. Like mother said, I am unique.

Determined now, I got back to my feet and entered the shower room. I shivered as the cool water ran along my bare skin, seeping into the holes that slowly repaired themselves and sending tiny shocks as feedback from the affected wires.

I giggled, feeling ticklish. And warming up as I wrapped myself in those white towels, careful not to let my blood stain the place too much

I choose not to dwell on Mother's death, but come to respect her decision and its outcome.

I was free now, away from the eyes of the Board. And whatever happens, I'll stay that way. Just as Mother wanted.

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 **Prologue done, hope that I've done a good job. Review and tell me what you think, but please, be gentle with me :D**


	2. Chapter 2: Shattered Illusions

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 ** _Present time, June 6_** ** _th_** ** _2186, New York…_**

The alarm buzzed, shaking myself into waking status.

The thing about AI's, grogginess is an issue not worthy of note, something that could easily be figured out why. Me, on the other hand, I'm just happy to wake up to another morning to experience the new things this century introduced.

Outside the eyes of the public, I was able to install quite a lot of new uprgrades into my system. My body no longer had the old synthopolymers that Dr. Nguyen had created initially. I had the protein overlay, creating the more lifelike effect so I could blend in to the crowd without them knowing who I really was.

I had also replaced the solar core with a mass generator I bartered out of a dealer shop in the black market outside the city. No more waiting out in the open to recharge every afternoon, I could run forever without getting tire now!

As I poured myself the same favorite caramel filled latte my Mother used to have me pour for her, I continue to practice my smile in the miror.

"Hello, it is nice to meet you." I showed those perfect white teeth, a perfect copy of a local model's enamel accessories.

Oh, and I also added a craft of my own. Due to the lack of names, I settled for 'taste module'. Sounds colorless, but then again, it's not exactly a priority for me to name things that I can't even show to the public, right? All I cared about is getting the real life experience that humans discard so easily.

To live. Very simple.

The television was showing a TV series about a human survivor trying to get by in a world dominated by an oppressive AI regime. I roll my eyes at the dull and largely inaccurate interpretation, knowing that AI are never capable of such a thing as striving for domination (or at least that's what I keep telling myself).

"I am Kara Solana, how are you?" I finished my cup and put it in the dishwasher, flicking my tongue with savoring every bit of sweetness I could get. I tried again, with a more gentle tone and bat of my lashes, "I'm Kara, what's your name?"

I pause for a moment, putting a hand into the soft blonde hair sprouting from my scalp. I looked just like Mother with those strands, although just a bit younger and…well, a little bit more curvaceous.

"Oh Mother, if only you could see me now." I murmur, taking the small necklace I fashioned out of the interface chip's piece that she used to win my freedom. I'm a bit sentimental that way. Sighing, I finally don those tight syntholeather boots and smoothen my uniform.

This was the day. Well, actually, just another day at work. But everyday felt special to me, I have no idea and never bothered to ask why.

I could barely contain my excitement as I emerged into the crowded streets and mingle with the crowd on the way towards the Alliance Headquarters. The trip didn't take too long, thankfully, and I arrived at the threshold of that tall geodiscal shaped building. My core hummed, equal to that of a wildly fluttering heart, as I entered through the sliding glass doors.

Alliance marines marched here and there, making me feel out of place as they always did. I caught some of my co-workers stare my way, making them blush and look away when I smiled at them.

Just another day in the office. A number of hours that exhausted my co-workers, then the time to leave. I stayed up to the verge of overtime, deciding against it the moment my boss came in with a look of disapproval on his face.

"I don't mind your enthusiam, Ms. Solana, but there's a fine line between being an enthusiast and a workaholic. Please, go home."

His gruffness faded when I beamed on him, "That's kind of you to look out for me, Roger."

"Bah, get on your way you."

The trip back to the penthouse, another day passes. Most people don't actually pay me much mind through the decades, dismissing my existance as more pressing concerns required their attention. Ranging from the First Contact War, down to the issues with batarian raids on the frontier, the list goes on.

Lately though, I've been sensing a lot of activity in the media through accessing the monitoring cameras. There were people tailing me for weeks now, sometimes sitting outside the penthouse and the apartment I go to for the winter season.

It had me worried for a while now, and I started to think of changing my identity to avoid detection and stay low for another decade.

As much as uncomfortable it make me feel, I knew that the last thing I needed was being dismantled for observation like Singularity did all thos years ago. So, I started packing that night, my suspicions confirmed by the same black cars sitting out in the lot a few meters from the penthouse.

The duffel bag I brought had been filled with spare clothes and the Carnifex pistol I was given on my supposed birthday by my co-workers. The Omni-Tool drained all of the credits in my account, useful for emergencies only. Also, I prepped those fake passports that some reliable forgers made for me. Suddenly, my ears caught a lot of movement on the stairs, flashes of that night in the lab with Mother flashed through my mind!

"Room Service!" A muffled voice announced. Penthouse didn't need room service, any moron would know that. Whoever said that must have a killer sense of humor, no pun intended.

I had to get out of there!

"Just a minute, I'm in the shower!" I called out, taking out the gun and forming that little simulation in my mind to calculate the exact positions based on the weight set by their bodies from the door. With the penthouse situated over the channel that flows over to the Pacific, I was left with either the window or directly through the door with those men outside.

My story will and never end here.

The Carnifex made a series of loud chastic bursts, making small holes through the thin concrete and I heard bodies drop. The door was busted open, and I planted a foot firmly on the couch to make one strong push towards the gunmen pouring in, using my momentum to somersault back over the kitchen counter and safe from their counterattack.

The room was filled with suppressed fire, bits of my beloved sofa and collection of paintings flying as the mass accelerators tore them off the walls, making me more irritable by the second!

Fortunately for me, even behind the counter, I could calculate their exact positions based on the origins of the soft puffing sounds of their guns. Too bad for them.

My hand came up, firing when I was sure and flicking it to the side when I wasn't.

Again, bodies fell, counterattacks dished out in revenge as I expected, and away from the counter I went. I counted six out of eleven, quite a lot to take out little old me! One can only assume this was a standard containment mission for them, but asset denial is a last resort.

They know what I am! What else could it be?

Gritting my teeth as I looked over the hand that caught a round through the palm, I chewed myself out for not leaving when I knew they were on to me. Then again, with the technology these days, it's very hard for one to remain hidden for long.

The exchange exhausted the single thermal clip I had left.

Sighing, I grabbed the oven close to me and threw it in one liquid motion to cause a distraction, succeeding for a moment so that I could reach the twin sai I had brokered off from an antique shop. The blades were elegant as they were deadly, just like me.

The gunmen stared whilst firing, mesmerized as I spun through the air and landed on one of them. The twist of my legs over his neck snapped the spine, dropping low and throwing the sai against the man on the right. He screams, finger still on the trigger as the weapon continued to discharge. I used that to my advantage, delivering a roundhouse kick to send the gun aiming at the rest, not wasting a single round as it pierced through their barriers and out through their armor.

The last one, I slapped his gun away and put some fingers under his helmet so I could get a good grip on the man. It was then that I recognized the same marks of SingularityCorp on his armband!

"What ghost of my past decides to show up now?" I say out loud, the goon looking at me in fear as he dangled there. My fingers close in on his neck, making that satisfying but horrifying cracking sound, before letting his corpse sink to the ground. I wear a frown, sad in knowing that my illusion of a good life was at an end.

Stepping over the bodies, I head over to the old fashion medical kit found under the sink of the bathroom. My hand wrapped a bandage over the wound on my hand, blue blood smearing the thin white fabric as I tied it securely. My frown deepens at the sight, but accepted the constant reminder that I'll never be human.

The pattern repeats. Just like those days in Detroit.

Bright side, there are a lot more places to run to these days. Maybe I'll head to an uninhabitable planet with just me and my little shuttle to keep me company?

Ah, who am I kidding? Singularity, not to mention a lot of corporations out there with a lot more reasons to exploit me, will never leave me alone.

Without any more reason to dawdle, I grabbed my duffel bag and headed out the door. There will be no words, no goodbyes to my co-workers or the kind old woman living next door.

I'm a ghost, yet again. Harsh reality of living as a fugitive. Often times, I wanted to take the fight to Singularity, end this nightmare and truly live a life. But then, who would take the side of a synth? Not humanity, of all species. They've been conditioned from birth to hate sentient machines like me. If I did what naturally came first in my mind, I would be branded as such.

A killing machine. Hell, I already am.

No one will take your side, price of being a synth.

"Why didn't you just grow me out of a test tube, mother?" I mumble as I hit the transit system, white hoodie over my golden tressed locks.

Where to now?

My Omni-Tool popped up, and I searched the Extranet for places I could plant roots in again, assuming I would be careful this time and try to balance exposing myself to the public at the right hours and keeping myself hidden at the same time. A lot of them were good options.

An ice world was out of the question, so was a volcanic one. Too much heat and too much cold did odd things to my body, things I won't even ellaborate on.

Desert worlds had an exotic appeal. But then, those gigantic Thresher Maws robbed them of all said appeal.

Then there's this crazy idea that popped into my head.

Would the Geth take me in? I found the thought a better plan than the others. But what stopped me? They're sentient machines, just like me. But was I absolutely certain there wouldn't be any complications?

I mused over this thoughts for days, traveling off world for what seemed like the first time in ages. From the moments I would shut down to keep my core from being stressed out, I would run through those dreams my imagination would conjure. These moments always kept me positive, which was an odd thing for one fugitive to do at such a time.

Geth sounded like a better plan with every hour that passed from traveling further and further away from Earth.

My train of thought was stopped just as the captain of the cruiser I was in announced the arrival on the Citacel, the vast space station that housed roughly half a billion different species loomed before us. The purple nebula around it painted quite a lovely masterpiece, I had to hand it to the people who came up with it. Somehow, even a non-sentient machine would appreciate the complexity mixed with simplicity.

I entered the docks with all the other tourists, issued with a five day delay while the cruiser resupplied should I choose to stay like all the rest. As tempting as it sounds, while I definitely could afford the place, the Citadel had a lot of eyes and ears about it.

Blending in with the populace, I headed over to a nearby hotel to check in. It was then that I heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire that came from the nightclub next to the hotel.

Definitely a bad place to be in. I took my bag and left, heading for the more secure part of the wards, but was careful as always to avoid the places where I sensed the cameras were looking. Being an AI in a highly advanced platform had its perks, and having all access to any form of electronic-based objects was the first in a ver long line.

Time moved slowly here, which was no surprise since I changed from calm to extremely twitchy.

I hate my life.

The path to the markets, mostly the ones trading both guns and armor to clients with prestige, was a good place for me to get fully stocked. With a license that came with my new identity, Ceira Barton, I could buy literally any weapon I chose.

I went with what I was familiar with; a Hurricane submachinegun, a bulk-purchase of thermal clips and a combat mod to add an Omni-Blade to my Tool.

Having the weapons done with, I moved on the armor selection. While the standard issue of Armax Arsenal armor was specifically designed for military use, the more underhanded politicians managed to get the schematics to private arms corporations. Typical society bullshit, as Mother used to say, pardon my unruly tongue.

I bought the kind that would fit over a leather overcoat, so that I would fit in with a polite environment. Also, as I went out the door, I added a better shielding module that I could jury-rig to interface smoothly with my mass effect core. The effect with render my barriers incredibly strong, so whoever wanted a fight would have a harder time getting to me.

The time came for me to leave, and I headed out, using the narrow spaces between buildings towards the docks. Cruiser or no cruiser, I will get a ship to take me far into the Terminus Systems.

Suddenly, I heard another shot.

Seriously?! Why is that every time I walk into a new place, everything ends up with someone getting shot!

I growl and stomp towards the source. Really, I wasn't thinking straight when I did that. I just walked in to the fray, priming up my gun and started shooting at the ones I deemed the bad guys.

Ignoring the surprised yells of the other side, I quickly took advantage of the three thugs harassing a poor quarian and brought them down as they sprang for their weapons, breaking apart their shields with the disruptor settings.

I hated bullies, just so we're clear.

Heaving a sigh, I tell the Alliance team emerging from the cargo boxes they were hunkered down in. "Sorry, had to blow off some steam."

That was pretty stupid. Now I have the Alliance keeping an eye on me. I just had to let my emotions get the better of me, now don't I?

"Oh is that all? I'd hate to see you on a bad day." The turian with C-Sec stripes on his blue suit deadpanned. The marine girl with the white and pink armor had her gun trained on me, I wasn't the only one having a bad day either.

"Chief, lower your gun, I don't think she's with Fist." The leader, redheaded woman with an N7 on her chest, ordered the girl to stand down.

"I'm really not at my best today. I'll try not to get into any more trouble, now that you'll excuse me." I prepared to leave, not wanting to be involved any more than I had already.

"You've got quite a skill there, a good spine too." She complimented as she eyed me up and down, "Not everyone's ready to jump in on someone's battle to help save a life."

The quarian nodded, "You have my thanks, both of you."

"Don't mention it. Now, if you don't mind, I really am in a hurry." I say, getting cut off by the Chief.

"What's the matter? A little edgy much today, aren't we?"

I gave them an exasperated look, "Hey now, I'm just trying to get off the grid and keep myself alive here, okay?" I turned to the N7 marine, "I appreciate the compliment, but I can't stay here. I'm sorry."

"Wait!" She called after me, "If someone's after you maybe we can help."

"I highly doubt it." I shot back, stopping dead in my tracks again as I spotted two pairs of men of questionable character. Running a quick scan, I was able to gain access to C-Sec's database and found some matches.

Hitmen, or rather, Clean up crew working for Singularity.

That confirms asset denial protocols, now they're trying to kill me!

"Unless of course, they're here already." I backtrack to the squad, keeping my head low so they won't see me. I drop my voice low so only the commander would hear me, "Whoever you are, I'm very desperate. If you can help me stop all this running- really I'm tired of it all- I'm well connected enough to reward you."

That wasn't a pun, but I really was connected to…well, everything.

"I don't need money, I just want to help." She said, and judging from my analysis of her breathing, eye pupil dilation and heartrate- she's telling the truth.

"Commander, maybe we can discuss this after we finish with getting the evidence we need?" The Chief called.

"I think your friend is quite right about that." I suggest, "My little problem is bit complicated and may take some time to relay."

"Alright then." She turns to the Chief, "Ashley, take her back to the Normandy. Garrus and I will handle this mess."

"Okay, if you say so." She says reluctantly, obviously wanting to stay for some reason.

"I'm Commander Jane Shepard, Alliance Navy. This is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, be nice to her okay?"

Ashley smirked, "No promises."

My hand reaches out to shake her hand. I trusted the woman enough to give my name. After all, if it didn't work out, I could just assume a different identity and disappear. "My name's Kara, Kara N. Solana."

"Wow, she's got my sister's name." The turian commented.

I smiled sweetly, "Nice to meet you, Garrus."

I added as I walked with Chief Williams to address the confused look in his eyes, "You have your nametag that spells it." Oh yah, I can read turian too. All thanks goes to the Extranet.

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 **Review and Comment as gentle as possible, hope you enjoyed it…**


	3. Chapter 3: Digging Deeper

**Many thanks for the people who inspire me to write more with their reviews. Just so you know, Kara's personality is a clash between the logical side of her program and the human emotion her mother gifted her with. The battles she will fight with Cmndr. Shepard is not only on the outside, but also on the inside. Even with decades of observing her environment, Kara has great difficulty adjusting to the human nature she so aspires to atain.**

 **Might have some problems with the ideas later on. So if you readers have any ideas for me out there, never hesitate to PM or review me, kay?**

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"So what's this all about, blondie?"

"Hm?" I asked, pretending to have my mind wandering the whole time we stayed on the bottom of the elevator leading into the Citadel Council chamber. While technically I was under Alliance juristiction due to my involvement with Commander Shepard, I was still unqualified to enter that room with her. A good thing too, a logical one, I wasn't going to have to add the Council on that ever-growing list of unwanted attention.

"You, in that alley earlier. You seemed pretty tense." Ashley repeated.

"Oh? Was I tense?" I feigned ignorance, "I'm sorry, but that's none of your business."

Her eyes narrowed, "I have a right to know if the little detour the Commander is making for helping you is going to get her killed."

"That's a matter she and I will discuss in private. Now back off, Gunnery Chief, because that's all you're getting out of me." I make that haughty nose-in-the-air look like I've seen in the vids back on Earth, effective in drawing a reluctant break from Williams as she snorted and walked away. While I admired her devotion, or loyalty, to the Commander, I certainly did not wish for her to know my secret.

Cold, yes. But like I said, the less they have to know about me the better. I can't stay naïve anymore, not like I've done in the past. Commander Shepard will help me until I'm certain that SingularityCorp is a threat well in the past. After that, I'm heading over to an uninhabitable planet to spend a few more decades until it was time to move on.

Now, what exactly was I planning to do here? How exactly was I supposed to take down something that grew over the years into a corporate empire?

Oh, am I planning to take the fight to them now?! I concentrated on keeping my thoughts together, no reason to let my emotions rule the moment.

What to do? What to do?

"What's taking so long?" The man with an outdated biotic amp complained, "They've been in there for what feels like hours."

I forced the impulse to answer down. While I had an eye, literally, on what was going on in the room high up the tower, it would be largely inconvenient for me to reveal that bit of information. Secrecy has its own power. Basically, I was acting just as well as the Krogan mercenary brooding in the corner. I had to hand it to Shepard, she certainly knew who to pick as companions on her squad.

"Well, Kaidan, incriminating the Council's favorite Specter- after they lose one of their best on Eden Prime? Hard thing to swallow." Garrus said. "Top it all off with a human giving the news, you can already guess what's on their minds."

"What the hell does that suppose to mean?" Ashley, grumpy as always, jumped at the emphasis on 'human'.

"Now now, I'm not being disrespectful when I said that." He said calmly.

She sat back down, sulking in silence. I roll my eyes, humans can be so petty sometimes.

"Look! There's the elevator car coming down!" Kaidan announced, walking up to meet with the Commander who accompanied Tali, the quarian girl we rescued from those thugs in the alley. There were a pair in with them too. I recognized one to be Alliance Captain Anderson, leading what looked like a test of some prototype stealth warship. I found out that the 'Normandy' was the same ship after all. The other was the Human representative, Senator Udina.

"Commander, how'd it go in there?" Ashley asked.

"We've convinced them of Saren's betrayal. Even they had to admit that the evidence was solid." She wasn't smiling, meaning there was a downside.

I was though, replaying the video of the look on Councilor Sparatus' face with Udina's pointed accusations made fact.

"I guess that's a start, where do we go next?" Kaidan scratched the temples on his head where I could assume was where his implant was situated.

Udina and Anderson had already gone ahead, leaving the team to themselves as they headed for the requisitions depot. Shepard, on the other hand, wanted to check out the new stuff the stores on the side had in stock.

She mumbled a curse, looking at the sniper rifle on this week's top shelf items and back at the lack of credits on her Omni-Tool. While it was against my better judgement, I felt pity for her and decided to help out a little.

"What the hell?" Her eyes widened, "How'd it-Where did…" Her hand swiped at the holoprojection.

"What's the matter?" Tali asked.

"My account's just been forwarded with twenty thousand credits!" She banged on the device in her gauntlet a few times, "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it might be a glitch."

"I doubt it." The quarian confirmed, "It's pretty genuine to me."

I walked away with a smile on my face, turning back to wink at the Commander as she glanced up.

There was a more secluded spot in the docks, in case Shepard wanted to talk there. I went there and waited, coming up with the best way to have her understand my predicament without giving away some more personal details.

"Shepard." I greeted, glancing up at the newly purchased rifle. "I see you've spent those credits wisely."

"Yeah, how'd you do that? No offense, but nobody could've mistaken you for a hacker."

"Ah Jane, a lady doesn't kiss and tell." I smile sweetly.

"O-kay." She raises an eyebrow uncomfortably, "Private person now are you?"

I drop my smile at that remark, "Shall we get to business please?"

"Mmhm, let's."

I tell her my story, leaving out the part of me being an android of course. All she knew about me on a personal note was that I was a scientist who was now being hunted down all across the galaxy. Their reason; my existance.

"Really? They're hunting you down because you exist?" She didn't sound too convinced.

Weak plot, now I'm digging an even deeper hole for myself.

"It's complicated." I smile. Hoping that works is a long shot, I hate leaving things to chance.

"Uh-huh. Okay, I think I can go with that."

Nailed it.

"So here's what we're going to do with you, Ms. Kara. Until we find something to do about Singularity, I'm afraid the only option you have is to stay within my line of sight. That means coming with us aboard the Normandy, and staying there at all times."

I raise a brow, "That's your best plan? Conscripting me?"

"I'll assume for the moment that you've got something better in mind? Besides, that way I can keep an eye on you." She addressed my reluctance, "Oh come on, it's not like I'm forcing you or anything. You can turn from here, your call."

I admit, "I have options, yes. Unfortunately, time is not on my side." I decide it would be best if I, on protest, agree to this immediate- and vastly illogical- solution. "Alright, I'm in accord with your idea."

We walk up the platform together, "I know it's a little too soon to ask, but can you tell me what you bring to the table?" She asks. She wasn't being insensitive, just being professional.

I like that, professional. Makes things simple.

I decide to reveal some of my skills. My mass core's energy can be channeled directly through the relays in my palms, creating the effect of a biotic's capability to manipulate matter. I've familiarized myself with every weapon found in the galaxy, so basically…I'm an arms master.

"I'm a biotic, and I have a wide range of weapons experience." I say.

"A biotic and a weapons expert." She echoed, "Are you sure you're just a scientist?" Her words made me tense.

"What? I'm in the weapons development program." I say defensively, "And I like guns." In truth, I have never developed preferences for anything to do with the military. Hopefull, again, she wouldn't see through that weak lie.

If she did, though, she didn't show it. Just smiled and nodded.

"Do you have much on you?" She asked.

I shake my head, "Just one duffel bag, why do you ask?"

Shepard motioned to a nearby ensign to come to us, "Regulations; we're allowed to bring a footlocker's worth of items and whatever knick-knacks you carry with you- no exceptions. Now, I'm going to sign off on you here. Mr. Pakshi here's going to show you your quarters where the rest of the crew bunks, though I would advise you to head over to check with Dr. Chakwas first for a medical exami." The Commander heads over to the pair of higher-ups as they conversed quietly. "Never know what bug you pick up on your journeys."

"Hey Commander." I call. She turns with her brow raised.

"Thank you." And she nods in acknowledgement.

Now another problem was presented to me. I can't take the medical exam without them discovering what I really am!

This was bad, and I mean really bad…

"Bunk Four's all yours. Shame we had to lose Jenkins too soon, but then it's just another bed someone else'll use in the end of the day." Pakshi sounded a little too insensitive right there. But I can let the thing slide, having no business aboard this ship other than my own unless told otherwise by the Commander herself.

Placing my things in the footlocker beneath the bed, I decided the next thing I was to do was hide around the ship's inner parts, just until I fade into obscurity from the eyes of the crew. It sounded stupid. Very stupid. Fat chance of Shepard not noticing my absence and the missing medical report that this Dr. Chakwas should have forwarded a few minutes after.

Ugh, I hated digging my grave deeper and deeper!

Best option; hack the Normandy's database and forge a medical report that shows positive results. Long shot, concerning that the firewalls in the ship was extremely hard to crack due to the state of the art technologies invested into it.

That, or hide- my call either way. Both are another chip in the rock in my hole.

Terrific.

 **}!{**


	4. Chapter 4: The Blue Damsel

**Hope I've done you guys some good with the intros. Sorry if my chapters seem to be a little too short, I can't help but feel that's where the lines break.**

 **Thank you for your support, review and PM whenever you feel like it.**

 **}!{**

"Hi there, you're that human who helped deal with Fist's thugs?" The quarian extended her three fingered hand to shake mine. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Tali Zorah nar Rayya."

I smile, "Kara, pleased to meet you."

Her hand was hesitant, almost as if she could sense the electrofilaments beneath my protein overlay. I would like to think I would be proven wrong, though. "I'm sorry, I'm just getting used to being around so many humans in one ship." She bubbled on nervously. Her timidness was something I could relate to, a sure sign we'd be hitting it off well, at least as long as I'm here.

Not sure I could say the same for the other humans onboard the Normandy. The marks of the First Contact War were still healing, bringing along three aliens onboard slowed that process to a crawl.

Ashley never let the chance to give that evil eye slip away every time she can, which was done a lot more frequently when I was around the three visitors. Kaidan, the biotic specialist, was a little nicer than her although he kept to himself.

While not exactly the big gun you expect from a L2, Kaidan had experience. Enough to let him stay, that is. That certainly qualifies.

Me, on the other hand, I needed a lot of experience in order to call myself a true survivor. If Shepard calls on me on missions, I won't hesitate to follow. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let myself get shot at.

I calm the fears of the jumpy Tali. "I understand what you feel. It definitely feels like you're a fish out of water, doesn't it?"

"Er…right, exactly." While she knows what a fish is, I highly doubt she got the meaning of the expression.

Three days out into the slipstream through space they call FTL travel, the whole team was called to assemble in the briefing room. Some place called Knossos was where we were supposed to head out to.

A holographic image of a 'pureblood' asari in her late Maiden stage years appeared in the middle of the assembly. "This is Dr. Liara T'Soni, daughter of Matriarch Benezia whom we are led to believe to be in league with Saren. Dr. T'Soni is one of the asari's foremost experts on Prothean technology, pretty much everything there is to know about them." Shepard continued to pace around, the briefing sounding more and more like a lecture in a college campus than a military intel. "Recently, contact with her and the dig teams with her lost contact. We're to head over to the Knossos system, find T'Soni, and make sure she gets out of there in one piece."

She stops, "Any questions?"

Now that I was a member of the team, even on short notice, I was issued with the file so I would be gotten up to speed. I've read everything within seconds, a perk I've discovered from the multi-processor module I was created with. While initially designed to be a lab assistant with instant results of calculations and whatnot popping out of my head, I found use for it in situations like this.

This situation, being up to speed. No pun intended.

I wonder what exactly happened on Eden Prime, the file had some deleted parts in it. Curiousity, as it goes, runs far. I was no stranger to it.

None of my business, and I would not interfere with the Alliance network any more than I already did.

"Is there any reason for us to expect trouble along the way?" I ask.

Everyone's eyes were on me, like it was the first time any of them saw me in the same room

 _Nice work Kara, couldn't keep your damn mouth shut!_

"Out here, Ms. Kara? There's always trouble." Shepard answers, then turning to the rest. "Standard drop-in and drop-out op, be prepped in five. Let's go people!"

Everyone hustled out towards the hangar, taking their loadout from the armory on their way in. Shepard chose to bring Ashley and Kaidan with her, relying on their experience and familiarity on this mission. Tali felt left out, obviously. Garrus just shrugged and went off to the workbenches to tweak on his rifle.

I understood their reactions, except my own. Shepard beckons.

"Doc, if you've got some medical expertise, now's a good time to make yourself useful." She points to the white canisters beside the cargo boxes lined up in neat little rows on the left corner. "Grab a medical kit and get saddled on the double."

"Yes ma'am." I did as she said, squeezing in with the others onboard the shuttle and holding tight as we made our descent.

I never found the trip down at all unpleasant, unlike my companions who grabbed a little harder onto the handlebars on the shuttle. Shepard threw a couple of glances at me as I remained steady, Omni-Tool up and reading and re-reading the file and dossiers so that I won't miss anything.

Touching down, everyone attached their helmets and double checked their weapons. Ashely looked at me curiously, seeing as how I wasn't wearing one.

 _Dammit, another dead giveaway!_

"Here, use this." Shepard handed me a rebreather, "The atmosphere's not harmful enough to burn your pretty blonde hair off, but it'll strangle you just as badly within seconds."

"Um, thanks." I don the mask, finding it uncomfortable against my receptor nodes beneath the skin of my face.

There was a hiss as the compartment was released of its pressure, the pilots not having to worry about it since they were protected by the seals in the cockpit. We embarked on our trip across the dunes towards the dig site.

The massive hole, as I expected, was crawling with Geth. What are the odds of me meeting them in this manner?

"Damn, too many to take on all at once. We need a diversion." Kaiden muttered in the comms.

"What for? It'll just call in more reinforcements. I may not know much about Geth, but I'm pretty sure a distraction's not an option." Shepard dismissed his suggestion.

While the team discussed what to do next, I peeked over the sand dune to mark each and every one of the Geth patrolling the perimeter. The pattern was efficient, blocking access on all sides and funneling any attempt to breach the perimeter into the middle of the crossfire.

The Geth had a system for communication, a network set up in digital space between the collective artificial intelligences. I was familiar with it, the same way I had been able to communicate with my brothers and sisters back on Earth all those years ago before they were discarded and dismantled.

Sad. I can only hope they never suffered.

With that thought, I accessed the Geth network, causing every platform to shut down instantaneously. While this was an effective (and very new) tactic, it exhausted me. Not in the same way a human does, but close enough.

I slumped down, fingers and hands shaking and my vision smeared with glitches. Shepard noticed my expression, "Kara, are you alright?"

I drive her attention elsewhere, "L-Look, the Geth have powered down. We can move now." I surmounted the threat of a forced shut down in the middle of a mission and followed the Commander. She stared in suspicion at the immobile androids and moved cautiously towards the entrance.

"How the hell did that happen?" She can't help but look at me. I was the culprit, sure. But she didn't know it, so I just shrugged.

Soon, she forgot the whole matter, focusing on the remaining Geth inside the Prothean ruin- or rather what I could describe as Prothean design. Kaidan and I threw some biotic attacks, impressed by how much power I could dish out just as much as I was. Ashley watched our backs for any Geth that decided to flank on us.

Shepard was quite the markswoman, taking heads clean off of the enemy with her rifle. Same rifle I helped her acquire in the markets.

I kinda felt sorry for the Geth, knowing the only difference between me and them was the design of our platforms and core programming. Top it off with the fact that they were in league with a rogue turian Spectre and just destroyed a human colony.

Geth give AI's a bad name. Really though, an ancient language interprets Geth as 'little shit'. A rough translation, maybe, but a very hilarious one I would like to joke about when the time was convenient.

 _Next time, don't try that again._

"Did you do that, Kara?" Shepard asked.

I pretended to look at my Omni-Tool, then shrugged innocently. Bad move, a very bad move.

"You and I are going to have a little talk after this, hear me?" She says, her voice reeking with suspicion.

"As you wish." Was all I could say. Now, time to come up with the best alibi I could hatch.

"Why? She took out the Geth for us, didn't she?" Kaidan came to my defense later along the path, which was spoken in a separate channel. I knew better than to eavesdrop on that converation, but I stayed silent and pretended I wasn't listening.

"Girl's full of surprises. More so than what she claims to have, I'd like you to keep an eye on her." She addresses Williams, "That goes for you too, Chief."

"Aye aye, ma'am."

Terrific, now I've got everyone's sights on me. While it was a good deed to do for me to clear a path for the team that way, I can't help but feel my self-preservation protocols berate me for the numerous outcomes that might stem from this decision.

Again, compassion- an emotion- along some others that I cannot determine, ruled the moment. Then I felt guilty, goading me to decide telling the truth.

 _No! Kara, that's the stupidest idea that's ever come to your head within the last seventeen point eleven minutes! There aren't a lot of people that'll take your side when they find out you're an AI, and I doubt Shepard's one of them…_

But what if she's not?

Worse comes to worse, it comes down to two options. Escape the Normandy, or come clean. The latter sounding the most illogical of the two.

 _Oh, I feel so alone… It felt a lot easier and simpler with the days I spent in the past, by myself without actually riding along with someone the way I did with Shepard…_

Price of trying to become something I'm not. I began to question, as I did for many nights over the years, the plan Mother had with giving birth to me. Freedom isn't much of a freedom when I'm living in fear, running and hiding all the time.

 _Again, what am I to do?_

My body went on auto-mode, my mind focusing on these thoughts while simultaneously trading shots with the Geth guarding the halls of the dig site. Shepard and the others took their sweet time, dodging fire with those crates and trolleys filled with rock samples and Prothean relics.

Calculating precise trajectories, I was able to drop dozens of those quarian-made AI platforms per three minutes. I wasn't showing off, mind you. I was just…helping.

"See, Commander?" Kaidan called, "She's kicking ass just fine, even more so than you."

"Shut it, LT!" She grumbled, looking into her scope to even up the body count.

Again, my efforts to gain her admiration was torn asunder. I cannot understand the need of humans for competition, and I probably never will.

 _Oh Mother, why was I created in the likeness of such a complicated species?_

That moment, I detected an asari life-signature, faint in signal from the rock blocking our path. "Commander, I detect what appears to be Dr. T'Soni. She's from behind the formation." Shepard looked up at the drilling laser canon the archeologist team left behind, hooking it to the power source and immediately cleared an entrance for us.

As the dust cleared, we could see the scientist suspended in what looked like an ellaborately designed security system that could only be of Prothean design.

"You! You are here…How are you here?" Her voice was tired, filled with disbelief at the sight of us. Judging from the amount of stress her body was having from fatigue, it's safe to guess that she's been down here for quite some time.

"We can cover that later. Can you get down from that thing?" Shepard asked, glancing at the biotic restraints on the asari.

"No no! I'm trapped! You must enter the commands on the console to release me!" She yelled hysterically.

I look at the said complicated looking console, Shepard was looking over my shoulder as I neared it. While Kaidan and Ashley searched the chamber for any remaining Geth, I started searching for the right code based on the compiled research on Prothean language.

Unfortunately, no signal.

I had to rely on the saved pages on my memory banks from my browsing in the Extranet earlier. Using that, I successfully released the doctor- with Shepard's go signal of course.

Unsteady on her feet, I swooped in and grabbed her before she hit the floor with her head.

"Wow, you've been working out?" Williams asked, referring to how easy I hefted her to my shoulders. Not much worth putting an alibi, so I just shrugged.

The place, made unstable by the laser drill, was starting to come apart. "Alright double time to the exit!" Shepard led the way, calling on the Normandy to send for a pickup. I did my best to shove away any boulders that fell in our direction with my biotics, a little difficult to accomplish concerning that I was carrying an unconscious asari at the same time!

"Just so you know guys, the Normandy's not designed to land next to active volcanoes. A little something to remember for future reference." The helmsman joked.

"Not now, Joker!" Shepard growled, kicking open the hatch which we came from. Adrenaline sure increases strength ten times the alloted amount normally exerted for humans. The door yanked free, and the team and I dashed for the ship.

Thankfully, nobody tripped on the way up. I laid Dr. T'Soni on the floor and waited until the compartment was repressurized before removing my mask. Once we were safe in the Normandy's hangar, it was only then that the rest of the team heaved a sigh of relief.

 _Here it comes._

"Kara, I think I want to have that talk right about now." Shepard whipped around her head, making her fiery red locks run free of the helmet. "Meet me up in the cabin."

Kaiden tried to console me, "Hey, you did good out there. Don't take it personally, the Commander's just a little on edge- especially after Eden Prime. Give her time and you both are going to get things smoothly."

"Won't get my hopes up." I mumble as I hang up my weapons and the medkit in the armory.

 **}!{**


	5. Chapter 5: Trust No One

**}!{**

"Come here, take a look at this."

I peered into the Commander's datapad, it contained the medical report I forged. "Yes, what about it?" My picture, as unaltered as I left so it remained genuine, smiled back at us.

Cargo lifters roamed in and out of the bay while we conversed in private, far from the prying eyes of the team.

"Okay, now this." Next came several news blogs and sites that centered around the time when I moved around Earth all those years ago. Also some unclassified files dating back decades into the past. It seems like that ever since alien life, as well as the Prothean Archives on Mars, were discovered technology was boosted far beyond my ability to adapt. Technology that allowed the government to keep tabs on me, in spite of my best efforts. While the evidence doesn't include DNA or any organic samples like that, the fingers were pointed at me. "Look familiar?"

 _I trusted no one, so I never asked someone's help. Forging constantly is sure to bite me in the ass, like now._

I remained silent.

"I poked around a bit, Dr. Chakwas notified me when she detected a virus in the files. I can't help but wonder if you're even who you say you are."

 _I dug myself this deep, now it's time to dig my way out._

"What's that supposed to mean? You know I'm on the run, right?" I say in my defense. "Obviously, I'll have

She looked at me sternly, brow high in her forehead. "For sixty-five years?"

"…"

"Kara, Dr. Solana, Mikael whoever you are, time to come clean. Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?"

The hangar doors were open, and I conjured up a plan of escape should things go south. It was a mistake to saddle up with the Normandy, the lies will just complicate things aboard an Alliance warship.

And a prototype one at that. _Dammit, I knew better than that but resorted to trusting my continued existance with a stickler for regulations!_

Shepard's eyes widened as I slowly backed away, out of the Normandy and into the docking platform. Her hand was already on the handle of her sidearm, and my foot bumped against a crate. "Where do you think you're going? Get back here, now!"

"Commander!" A voice called out, and I felt Omni-cuffs slip into my hands. Strong arms were on me, inhumanly strong too. I struggled, "Congratulations on aiding in the capture of a wanted fugitive."

The voice, belonging to a slick-haired man in his late twenties approached the Commander. "I'm Connor, I work for Singularity."

"Singularity?" Shepard frowned, the name definitely familiar to her.

Mr. Connor nodded, "We'll take it from here."

"Commander, what's going on here?" Garrus asked, wide-eyed as he saw them lead me- cuffs and all- into a dark skycar with the symbol of Singularity's polar white sun. Tali watched, speechless. Kaidan was at the Commander's side, whispering loud enough for me to hear.

"Um, Shepard? If she's really a fugitive, this should be a concern for the Alliance. I don't trust these guys."

"And you trust her?" She hissed back, referring to me.

"Not as much, but just to be sure." He glanced cautiously at the heavily armed men meeting to escort me. "Aren't they a little too prepared for one girl?"

Sighing, Shepard muttered something like 'I can't believe I'm doing this'. "Just hold on a minute there, Mr. Connor."

"Yes, Commander?"

"Ms. Kara is under my juristiction, this falls to me to bring her to the proper authorities." Shepard took another step forward, every Alliance crew members aboard now coming together for the scene on the docks.

Mr. Connor stiffened visibly, but he forced a smile on his face. "She is our property, I'm afraid I can't-

"I'm sorry, what did you say she was?" Shepard's face darkened, probably thinking 'property' meant I was some sort of prostitute or something.

I, on the other, was very angry about that term he used. While Mr. Connor was busy trying to compose another sweet lie, I growl while yanking my hands free of the cuffs. "I'm nobody's property, you son of a bitch!"

I slam my foot above the knee of the gunman on my left, a loud crack emanating from his broken bones.

The other, swiftly swiveling his weapon to bear, I slapped the shotgun aside and kicked him off the platform and into the streets below. A good fall from thirteen stories turned his face into a bloody pulp.

Groaning from his broken leg, I silence the other man with a precise chop of the palm on his windpipe.

I gasp as a shot rang out, something knocking me forward and onto the ground. I realized Mr. Connor took this time to shoot me from the back! The round had pierced through several key funtionaries, nothing much to keep me down but it really hurt…

"Put your hands up!" I hear Shepard yell.

"He shot her." Tali whimpered in shock.

"Now you see why we had to bring along the guns, she's a dangerous fugitive, Commander." Connor relied calmly, nudging me with his foot. Stepping on my neck, he bent over and aimed the gun on my head, whispering sadistically. "Not so much anymore, actually."

"Drop the gun and put your goddamned hands up! I won't ask again!"

Spitting the warm fluids out of my mouth, I activate the Omni-Blade on my Tool and sprang up suddenly to impale the Singularity representative on the pointed end. Ignoring the gasps and surprised sounds of my onlookers, I let the corpse slide off as I turned the Omni-Tool off.

"God, do you see that?"

"Keelah, is her blood blue?"

I clutch at the wound on my chest and stagger away, concentrating enough to access the engines of the agents' skycars. While bullets tore even more holes into my body, I put the engines on overdrive- beyond their capacity to withstand a total implosio.! The agents fell away as the blasts tore apart the vehicles into one pile of mangled pieces of metal.

Fire belched into the air, black smoke following the burning wrecks as they launched upward and slammed back down in a series of crashes.

I ignored the glitches in my vision, concerned with one thing only- getting away. The pain receptors were on the fritz, sometimes tickling me in places and then changing into a full spike of agony. I knew some part of my head was shorted out, and badly, but I also knew this was no place for me to initiate repairs.

"Kara, wait!" I heard Tali call as I staggered forward, vision blacking out in the edges as I tore my way through the crowd. I had no time to wait, Singularity would've sent in a back up team by now- assuming they valued me that much.

My body went on auto-mode again, this time with plotting a course further inside the Citadel's darker corners, though I highly doubted Shepard would be so willing to let me go after that little scene in front of the Normandy. Just in case, I accessed the security cams and monitors along my path so that I could have a chance to evade attention. Steadying myself on the wall, my blood smearing the metal surfaces in a dead giveaway trail.

I forced my feet to cooperate and clutched at the holes in my midsection, stopping the flow of the precious liquid that fueled my system. Loss was critical, I could feel it. One by one, my processors were shutting off- equal to a human bleeding out.

Logical solution was to keep the pressure on, find a soldering rod or some tool to weld the wounds shut. Next, I'd stow aboard a merchant vessel out of the Citadel. Hopefully one going somewhere secluded in this wide galaxy.

 _All this, all because you put your life in the hands of someone you barely know._ I gritted my teeth in frustration,

I knew Shepard couldn't be trusted. If I were to somehow survive this day without being rendered non-functional, I promised myself that I will never repeat the same mistake I made today.

But one thing was clear, however.

Singularity will never leave me alone.

As I broke inside the back of a vehicle parts store, silencing the alarms first, I sat with my back leaning against the counter. I found an ion torch on top of a toolkit, grabbing it and turning the lid until I saw the green flame come to life.

Staring, unseeing, at the warm flame as it cauterized the wounds' thin platinum subdermis sheets, my thoughts went back to Mother the day the Board decided to steal her research.

The emotion, one that I felt only when I saw the mercenaries gun down Mother in front of me, came back like a spark igniting a gasoline drenched road. The fire burned brightly, "It may have taken me this long to realize it, Mother. But I am done running."

Sealing the holes shut with the torn white cloth I found in the disposal, I stood up. My vision was less glitchy now that my auto-repair protocols kicked in. "Singularity wants their 'product' back? Now they're going to."

"And sooner than they think."

 **}!{**


	6. Chapter 6: Syccalean Stories Part One

**}!{**

Getting into the Citadel was one thing. Getting out, especially after what happened that morning? Entirely another.

Security was tight in the docks when I returned later that week, courtesy of Commander Shepard.

Everything about me was changed now, in terms of physical appearance. My hair was black as raven's feather, eye color changed from its original blue to a dull green. My face…I have no reference so I suppose the term 'irrecognizable' is appropriate.

I had synched my Omni-Tool with my central processor unit, just as I have before. As I approached the checkpoint headed for that same cruiser I had checked in with before joining the Normandy, I caught sight of the Normandy hovering outside the docks.

A shuttle was still on ground, though. I had to admit, with a busy week such as this, it was kind of flattering of the Commander to stay in case she would find me among the crowd.

I decided to contact her, not in the way people do. While in the outside, I was smiling in silence as C-Sec checked my bag and scanned my 'passport'. Inside my head, my CPU was handling the call by itself.

That means, in effect, I was a telepath. Catchy name and term for it, I'll let it stick.

She looks down at her Omni-Tool, looking about when she didn't recognize the unfamiliar channel. "Hello?"

 _"_ _I guess you took Mr. Connor's words to heart after all."_

"Kara?" She looked out into the crowd, her gaze settling on me for a moment and then moving around when she didn't recognize me as expected. "Kara, if you're out there, turn yourself in. There's a chance we can still help each other out."

I frown inside, _"Like what happened at the docks? Really tempting, but the idea loses it's appeal every second I think about it. Besides, you're all the same. No room for denial there."_

"Kara, I'm on your side here-

 _"_ _No one is on my side, Commander. You humans are all the same, hunting me down all my life just because of what I am, and I'm sick of it all!"_ I meant the words too. While I despised Singularity for making my life a living hell, I didn't mean 'you humans' with the rest of Mother's species. I was angry, true, and my mouth got the better of me.

 _"_ _No more. I'm finishing what Singularity started. Now you run along and handle saving the galaxy or whatever it is you do for a living."_

"Kara-

I ended the call, seething inside as I boarded the ship headed for Syccalea. Commander Shepard bustled her way through the crowd, head turning this way and that but never finding me. Soon, the _Startreader_ detached itself from the docks, heading for the Mass Relay.

I sat myself down, a new plan forming with the new dawn.

SingularityCorp has its fingers stretching all over the known galaxy, that includes the Terminus systems. They control the produce and manufacturing of security mechs, maintenance drones as well as the very digital substance that makes the Omni-Tools that everyone uses these days. After that, however, the company branches out to some more unethical forms of research.

All access to the Mars Archives gives you a lot of power, enough to be abused.

I could feel excitement and anxiety come together to form their own combination of emotion unlike anything I've ever experienced. Never before have I undertaken this train of thought and executed it, a farcry from the usual disappear and run with my tail between my legs kind of tactic.

I also felt bad for blaming Shepard for what she did. She may not have meant it, but she was one to stick to the rules as any soldier should.

I respect that.

The ship was pulled into the vortex opened by the Mass Relay, and the stars streaked by into convergence streams of light around us. Children, having done this for the first time, ran from their parents and pressed their cute little faces on the glass pane.

I took a paper paged booklet, one that I carried with me everywhere I go, and turned the cover to swipe at the dust. _Pinocchio_ , a relic of a time long past, was the first book Mother read to me as I lay down on the charging unit all those years ago. The first of the long pattern to my evolution. Sentiment is something she advised me to have, but to take care that it doesn't hinder me from doing what's right.

Turning the page, I began the first chapter in which the master carver first shaped the puppet that he would call his son. Nostalgia caused something in me to coagulate, equal to that of bringing a tear to someone's eye.

It is moments like this that I take time to remember what Mother sacrificed so much for me to become.

I may not have the body, but I am human. Or more accurately, I'm aspiring to be. Pinnochio is a good role model of who I am, and an accurate one at that.

"You're pretty." I look up to see one of the children staring at me. I smile and take the toddler on my lap. Stopping to make an impression on one so innocent, I hold up my hand in a closed fist in front of her face.

"Blow on it." I whisper, and she did. Opening my palm, I form a holographic fairy out of the Omni-Tool's secondary functions. Her face lighted up and she squealed in delight, dancing around as the fairy flitted and floated above her head.

Her mother snatched her up and glared at me, for some reason I have yet to discover. "Don't bother that woman again, you hear me?"

The fairy disappeared into a thousand bits of holographic pixie dust.

"But mama, she can do magic!" The girl protested, silenced by the harsh hiss her mother made. I frown and return to my reading, the incident fading into obscurity as time passed.

Half the day was over before I felt that keen sensation of balance when the ship slows down from mass effect. This should mean we were close to Syccalea.

 _"_ _Attention, this is your captain speaking."_ The captain went on, his words

I gather up my things; a backpack with some clothes and the newly purchased sidearm that I planned to re-customize to my purposes later. Standing in line with all the other tourists, I prepared to enter one of the galaxy's most famed industrial complexes as well as tourist spot.

Just like in the Citadel, security was tight, even more so concerning that Syccalea is one of the few gateways into the asari held spaces.

I had to admit, I was mesmerized by the sights. Something about asari art that makes even synthetics like me appreaciate its beauty.

Speaking of beauty, I was also left slack-jawed at how asari forms the majority of the population. Other than the fact that Illium's twin is an asari planet, it still surprises me to see so many of them in one place.

I can already guess the real reason behind why Syccalea is so popular.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Syccalea." The asari at the reception counter greeted me cheerily, though I could detect that her stress levels were higher than what her face tells me. "Passport please."

I had her scan my Omni-Tool, "Enjoy your stay, Ms. Venice Coreigh."

The city loomed about me, the crowds threatening to drown me (had I the need to breathe above water). Basically, nothing was new. Earth had its own crowds, and I was used to them.

In fact, the more crowds to mingle in- the better.

Getting into a waiting cab, I selected the best place I could stay in which had the best exit strategies should the need arise. Having done that, I tell the volus to head out. Passing through a great influx of traffic, I couldn't help but glance at the advertisements SingularityCorp was putting up everywhere.

They boasted of a new model of mech soon to be released into the public, one they promised to reveal within the next fifteen days.

I wondered what that was all about, jotting it down in the back of my head and putting up my headphones. I hit the play button and rocked my head slightly, in synch with the classical harmonious tune of a violin with a piano.

The trip lasted half an hour, plenty of time for me to go through all fifty tracks in my iPad. Call me oldfashioned, but those things are my way of reminding myself why Mother wants me to be sentimental. Also, I deliberately asked the driver to pass through lanes that gave me a good look at SingularityCorps' latest endeavors to expand their business. Buildings in many shapes and sizes all bore their name and insignia. My focus directed to one in particular. Hexagonal in shape, built up like an overgrown tower deep into the earth like a 21st Century depiction of Star Wars Coruscant.

"Here we are." The driver paused between breaths within his suit, "That would be 300.70 credits."

I paid my due and walked out. My brows scrunched together, a little confused at how prestigious hotels looked like in any asari controlled world- even the common ones. I almost felt sorry thinking what would happen when another one of my gunfights would erupt any time of the day while I stayed there.

I counted how many floors on the way up to my room, numbering 41 as the doors let me step off. The halls were illuminated well, eliminating the possibility of anyone sneaking up on me whenever I would step out.

Stepping out will be done rarely. I glance around at my room, marvelling at the asthetically pleasing curvatures of its inner architecture and symmetrically straight lines. A rectangular fishtank, filled with exotic aqualife from different worlds, spread all across the floor.

Actually **that** was the floor.

Letting my bag slide off of my shoulders, I squeak childishly and jump onto the bed, bouncing on its soft matress again and again like another ten year old having her birthday the next day.

Stopping after thirty minutes of non-stop bouncing, I lay down and stare up at the ceiling. A mental note was written down at that moment; 'Enjoy the little things'.

I stretch languidly, not because I was tired or anything, for the hell of it. I roll over and kick my shoes off, my clothes discarded a few seconds later.

Getting up and walking towards the bathroom with nothing in but my underclothes on, I paused to examine myself in the mirror.

While staring at the face that was not my own, I concentrated just enough for the symillacra to shift and revert to the various faces I've worn over the years. Raven hair, red, brown, amber, and blonde went my hair. They shifted to various lengths too, ranging from that cute chinese bowl to the shoulder length ones that I've come to love.

Another change, and I was back to the original- not the face I had Commander Shepard see the day we met, so I was free of danger of being recognized.

The face that truly resembled Mother, and I went closer to the mirror, marveling at the thought of how long she stared at my lifeless visage before sculpting it to form.

 _I miss her._

The shower was cold, just the way I liked it. Water ran over the smooth surface of my skin, skimming across the faint lines of my barely visible scars. Each told of my mistakes, survived and learned from.

The recent ones, that circle made from Connor's magnum, the mark was still fresh in my mind.

My hand touches the ample mounds on my chest, curious to how meticulous Mother was to detail, and squeezed them together. Wandering further down, acting on impulse and something far more carnal than my artificial mind could fathom, my hands reached the apex between my thighs.

Unlike the vids I have seen in some more questionable sites in the Extranet, there was no blast of that thing called 'pleasure'. My fingers encircled in lazy patterns, leaving me unsatisfied with my explorations as it has done so many times before.

Rolling my eyes and exhaling a huff of irritation, I walk out of the glass booth and take the towels to dry myself. The damp white cloths were sent to dry, and I don a white bathrobe, patting my short golden-tressed locks dry within seconds.

I had time left outside of planning, which I used to browse some more about events happening around the galaxy. There, I found myself searching about how the Normandy and her crew were doing.

As it turns out, the Citadel security checkpoints have fallen lax within the week, due in no small part to the stacked number of complaints issued to C-Sec about its 'unneccessary procedures'.

Typical use of democracy, not that I could blame them for trying.

I went over the Alliance medical reports, ignoring the one containing my last alias and finding the Commander's. The report stated, after the mission on Eden Prime, that Shepard was exposed to som form of psychological attack that scrambled her mind's beta waves and nearly killed her.

Following further in, using the Extranet as my spelunky rope, I dug deeper into the Normandy's private camera feeds. The tapes were quite hard to get by, which took me a while to crack without getting the Alliance's attention.

I watched the Commander perform a ritual that dated tens of millenia back with the most recent member of the crew, Dr. Liara T'Soni, as well as a very personal ritual; a mind meld.

 _Sounds resourceful._

During their little liason, I kept hearing the same word whispered between the two as they swayed in perfect unison.

Reapers.

Drawing away, I was able to pick up a few files in the history section of the Extranet about these 'Reapers'. Not many, but some. According to the archives, the Reapers were supposed to be gigantic mythological monsters capable of devouring while stars that cleansed the galaxy every fifty thousand years and harbored a bitter resentment for all things living.

I understood immediately why it was called a myth. Shepard's wasting her time chasing myths, but at least she was hunting down a maniac like Saren- not a total waste after all.

Logging off, I get off the bed and take my time looking out the window as darkness settled over the city. SingularityCorp's number one and Syccalea's most prized establishment was right in front of me, a perfect view and good scaling vantage point for me to exploit.

Tommorow will be the day I take the fight to them.

For now, I get a good night's rest. Or at least something close to that, judging from how loud the warp core in my chest was humming.

 **}!{**

 **It's going to take some time before I get my head around the plot in this part, I admit openly. Pardon me if I get delayed in updates, dear readers! Hope you enjoyed that…**


	7. Chapter 7: Syccalean Stories Part Two

**}!{**

"Is there a problem?"

The guard glanced up at me suspiciously, and then back down at his console. "I'm sorry, Ms. Coreigh, but I'm afraid I can't let you in. No clearance, no entry. Company policy."

There was no one else entering the building, so I was left alone with the guard with two security mechs in the security checkpoint.

I smile as charming as I could muster, "Please check again. I'm sure I'm in there somewhere." Somewhere far away, the security server firewalls have been bypassed and I've been granted said passage. His brow twitched, checking the console one more time before finally unlocking the door for me.

"Welcome back to Singularity, Ms. Coreigh."

"Thank you kindly." I walk away from the gate and deep into the heart of my enemy. Wandering through the halls, I memorized the routes I could take if thing went south, having no blueprints nor maps of any kind since Singularity keeps their own private network away from the Extranet.

Entering an unoccupied research terminal, I locked the door with my keycard and accessed the primary archives, hoping to catch some hint of what was going on with Singularity projects since the day I was freed.

 _Hell, their technology goes beyond the scope of the Alliance and Council put together!_ Just looking at the secret projects which I saw as I passed by would make the salarians' mouths water.

Things like delving into long distance matter projection- basically teleportation, bio-organic re-engineering and cybernetic interfaces, my processors were tasked to the limit with all the data downloaded, and the list doesn't even end there!

These ideas weren't their own, as I soon found out while scaling those more secured files. Hundreds of former Singularity employees, or from sister corporations, that resigned or refused to submit to cooperation like Mother met dire ends.

Records showed how deep corruption goes in the government back in the day and up to now, because there have been little to no efforts to bring down the organization and thus letting them get away with anything.

Not my concern whether the police do nothing about it, all I cared about is that Singularity's end begins today.

Scrolling down on the list of Singularity's dealings with other organizations, I frown when I see the name Cerberus coming up more frequently than all the others.

 _They must have something Cerberus desperately wants, I wonder what exactly._

Singularity's empire has grown, and I found myself doubting if I can really pull this off. A simple disruption in their work won't be much of a solution. I needed to find some way to get at the Board, the only way to kill the snake is to go for the head after all.

Unfortunately, the Board is just as hard to find as the Shadowbroker.

They don't exist, just another name whispered on one's tongue. And they like to keep it that way.

Then, I noticed something change in the archives. Someone updated their progress with something called Evolution. The file mentions a bit about their efforts to create some sort of hybridization of symillacra and living tissue, incorporated into a device they simply refer to as the Cradle.

 _Singularity and their nicknames, bah._

I tense when I heard the door open, forcing myself to act naturally and swipe at the monitors as if I belonged there. Apparently it worked, the engineer who entered had set his coffee cup down on the counter and sat next to me.

I wait, playing it cool for a few minutes before excusing myself and heading out. I log the computer off first, knowing that the slightest mishap would undermine the whole scheme.

"Dr. Klein, how goes prototypes for the Evolution project? Any luck?"

"Not really. I've forwarded what I can to the archives, but that's about it. I have yet to send my report to the Board. I think I'll do it later today, I'm optimistic we are closer than ever!"

The voices down the hall were getting louder, and I enter that booth holding the coffee machine. Acting like the buxom assistant who brings along the coffee mugs, I pretend to trot unsteadily with those high heels and follow the pair of scientists.

Automatically, he reaches out and takes the mug off of my hands. "Thank you darling, please step close, I may have need of you to take down some notes for me." Dr. Klein fished for his keycard and unlocked the heavy titanium framed door to lead us into the Cradle chamber.

I gawk at the storage tubes lined in neat little rows on either side of us, all of them housing naked female androids submerged in preservative gel. All of them having my initial model, without Mother's face to match- I kind of feel proud she shaped me different from them.

"The Board's been breathing down my neck. I'm telling you, Singularity has been cursed with the weirdest CEO ever. Obsessed with immortality, I can already tell crazy's been stepped up a notch because of that." Dr. Klein's coworker muttered.

"Shut up, they can hear you, you know that?" He hissed, pausing to look over the railing of the catwalk we were treading on to view the oddly crescent shaped device in the middle of the room. White was everything in a laboratory's color scheme, and Singularity's labs are no different.

Really, it makes my eyes hurt.

"Alright, begin recording." Klein told me.

I play along as the helpful assistant, seeing to the doctor's every need while actually taking the time to observe what Project Evolution was all about.

Hours passed and the doctors went off to get their lunch. From what I could interpret from the work done here, Singularity was researching into creating their own version of Artificial Intelligence, but so far have been largely unsuccessful.

Dr. Klein was closer than most, however. So close.

They'll never understand though, artificial intelligence is decades far from them. I was one of the lucky ones, born of an error rather than an educated guess.

Mother always did call it a miracle of birth.

I head out, keeping out of sight all the while, and approach the inner most part of the complex where the main servers and databas housing was. The way inside was easy, since my all access card got me through the guards. But once inside, I was presented a dilemma.

My whole plan involved disrupting Singularity's operations, this includes wiping out their database and leveling the whole place.

 _Kara, there are people inside this don't you just fry the servers and kee what's left of the essentials without killing anyone?_

Another dillemma.

I frown, _Why should there be cause for any doubt? Singularity is evil, inside and out. The people that die today are just collateral damage. Damn the consequences, they're all dead anyway._

It took a few minutes of my time, but I was able to access the controls of the reactors powering the whole complex deep underground from where I stood. From where I was, connected to the main server, I was able to do anything.

Copying and then wiping local data about Evolution, I prime up the reactor to overload just like the skycars back on the Citadel a few days ago.

 _Kara, some of these people have families. Can you really live with yourself knowing that you could've avoided needless bloodshed and didn't?_

That would be my supposed 'conscience' talking.

 _Why the hell should I care? They killed Mother, they killed so many more!_

My head was heating up from the powerful flow of information like a raging flood against a dam. And I was ready to burst just like that reactor.

 _You should care. You're not a machine, that's why Mother created you._

I snort and rool my eyes, accessing the building's fire alarms. Before leaving the chamber, I synch a part of my mind to be notified of any further developments in Singularity's protocols in case the Board decided to step things up and thus give me an inkling on where and how I would be able to take them down.

 _As a matter of fact, I am a machine._

I wait for a few minutes for everyone to get out of the building, giving them ample time to hustle and bustle there way to the exits. I join them, mingling in and getting to the skycar I rented before the entire complex crashed in on itself with one big cloud of dust and smoke!

 _Now that's settled, all I have to do is wait for Singularity to slip up and give me another reason to take a shot at them._

I took to the sky, gazing at the rearview mirror and admiring my work. Just thinking about what I did today, I began to wonder if the typical fear of machines have been justified.

I had just accessed a high number of highly secured networks in one week, difficult to do , yes, but the results were there!

Indeed, they have reason to fear me now. And I regret nothing.

 _An error? I highly doubt it. Mother, you are a genius._

 **}!{**

Syccalea could be crossed off my list, just have to worry getting away without any incident.

Among the files was mentioned another research station orbiting a gas giant deep in the Terminus systems, one tied to the Evolution Project. Syccalea was just a footnote compared to the bigger works, and they've barely scratched the surface.

Just looking at the raw data flowing in my head, I could already tell it wasn't ready for use.

If they were this far into getting their own artificial intelligence, among other forms of technology that could so easily be perverted by Singularity, it just forced me to redouble my efforts. One can only imagine what can be done with this information.

Tempting.

They can't have these technologies, and neither do the organizations bidding for it.

Packing up my things and gazing around at the hotel room before I left, I did one sweep for the routes in case Singularity's mercenaries have been called for.

Sure enough, several vehicles bearing that same symbol had just parked outside the hotel.

 _Well, I have to hand it to them, that was quick._

But something was off about the others in the midst of those men. While everyone else checks out as an ordinary merc, I was able to cross reference two that were originally affiliated with Cerberus.

Makes sense, if one thinks about it. I had just downloaded a surprisingly large amount of data, incriminating and volatile stuff, hours before. I had just made an even bigger target of myself now.

 _I'm not sorry._ I found myself thinking, _The data is safer with me than anywhere else._

They were up in the twin elevators now, all armed with Vindicator assault rifles and Argus repeaters. I took the surest path down, which involved jumping out of the 41st floor and onto the ground. I wasn't worried about dying, since a fall barely left a mark on me, but was worried about making a scene.

No time for that, unfortunately, since the elevator doors had opened just as I readied myself for the jump.

"Stop her!" The mercs fired, peppering the marble walls with holes as I dashed with all my strength towards the window. There was a crash as I burst through the glass, the wind howling as my body cut through the air with my descent.

People were too busy in Syccalea to notice what was going on upstairs, so I wasn't exactly seen as much when I used my hands to slow my fall,

The protein overlay that acted as my skin was scraped off, as well as the nails that I spent too much time caring for.

 _Seriously, what fugitive has time for a manicure?_

I landed with a thud, straightening out my black blazer over my jeans and wrapping my scarf more securely around my neck. The crowd continued its flow as if nothing happened, and I mingled with them.

The enemy was relentless, pursuing me even from the skies. Glancing back, I saw some of SingularityCorp's new military drones swoop in from the skies. The birds scared the civilians for a clear path, opening fire as I raced for the subways.

Syccalea police was called, apparently by Singularity. Now I had two enemies on my tail, not counting Cerberus since their purpose is to retrieve me alive- better than the other guys planned to do.

I saw an empty tunnel, a mag-transit just passing by and picking up speed and heading straight for it. I leap off the platform in a graceful arc, landing on the side of the train with my hands acting as hooks securely dug into the metal.

My backpack held a foldable Mantis rifle, calibrated for piercing power. It proved useful when I saw twin Singularity gunships emerge from behind a newly constructed building. Their hatches opened to expose the troops within, and they turned their wrath against me.

The Mantis scope zoomed in, taking out the pilot through the windshield and sending the ship spinning out of control. One lucky merc jumped off in time and landed on me, sending the Mantis skittering across the roof of the train and out of my reach.

He brought up his sidearm, which I flicked away with an effortless swipe of the hand. "You're stronger than you look." He smirked, launching himself in the air and kicking with both feet. The blow landed on my chest, the force making me stagger a few feet away. He took this time to sprint forward, using his momentum to deliver a punishing strike with his fist.

Apparently, Singularity has been awarding its soldiers with enhanced cybernetics, the reason behind how quick and powerful the man's strikes were!

 _Okay, Kara. Analyze his fight pattern, then calmly ready your countermeasures. You can do this._

We blocked, parried and struck back and forth. Then we ducked at the same time to avoid getting our heads struck off by the metal beams overhead.

I kicked sideways, knocking him off balance and flat on his chest with an annoyed grunt coming from his helmeted mouth. The train exited the tunnel, and the remaining gunship hovered just ahead.

"Nowhere to go, pumpkin!" I turn just in time to be on the receiving end of a doozy of a grunt's kick. The blow forced me to my knees, and his own went forward to finish me off.

I lay there, with him straddling my waist. _Wrong move._

I smirk and stiffen my back, sending him flying up in the air and slamming against an oncoming traffic light! Blood and flesh bits flew in all directions, his body dangling as the train went on.

"Pumpkin, really?"

I stand up and glare at the gunship's crew looking on in amazement, my taste receptors sensing the dull rusty sensation of synthetic blood on my lip.

My feet move me to sprint, tearing myself through the turbulent winds of the bullet train as I did so.

The launch proved inhumanly possible, which was fine considering I wasn't.

Landing inside and having my weight push another merc out the opposite door, I grapple at one's head and slam it against the floor, killing him instantly. The others had a difficult time swiveling their weapons in that cramped space, another win for the android.

I step off the surface of the wall and wrap my legs over his head, using my momentum to spin us both around and effectively bring him down. The others have resorted to their melee weapons now, jabbing and stabbing to no avail.

The spin had wrenched the merc's spine into two, his body falling lax and I released him. Grabbing the sidearm on his companion, I aim the gun hand under my other arm towards the pilot and wrapping my solid fingers on the other while he tried to skewer my eyes out!

The trigger finger squeezed, the weapon discharges, sending the pilot's head into a wild jolt before falling slumped against the controls. Blood had spattered across the cockpit, and th gunship whirled around like it was caught in a whirlwind.

Panicked, the merc shoved me aside and dashed to regain control of the ship.

I, on the other hand, didn't stop to find out if it worked, jumping off and landing on all fours on the ground below.

It didn't, obviously, judging from how wild the spins were and how the ship met its end on a customs service center.

 _I can only hope nobody got hurt in there._

Fortunately, the wreck tore itself free from the building and exploded in mid-plummet. Asari, among others, ran in all directions. Humans, as expected, were fascinated by the ellaborate display of fireworks. Omni-Tools were up and pictures and vid were taken for each and every one with their own blogs in the Extranet.

Before they could direct their attention to me, I was well away from the crowd and on my way to the spaceport.

My core hummed furiously from all the excitement, seemingly eager for more. I realized I had just experienced my first, and my own version of, adrenaline rush!

"It doesn't get any better than this." I smile to myself as I enter the lobby.

The seats on the waiting room were comfy, and I paused to sit down. The pulsation lines around my eyes slowly faded away, the faint white noise in the background ebbing out as well.

I don't breathe in and breathe out, so I had to make do with what I can do. Something else close to it, I can relax in my own way…

I can head out later. For now, I'll just stay and enjoy the rare form of serenity within a bustling crowd…

 **}!{**

 **"** **Bustling crowd" = Serenity? I have no idea if that's a fact, sorry if I just turned my OC into an eccentric, as if Mass Effect couldn't have done it for me. Leave a review or PM me at your own pace, ciao :D**


	8. Chapter 8: Noverian Escapade

**}!{**

" _Kara?"_

 _I open my eyes, "Yes, Mother?"_

" _Kara, how do you feel?"_

 _Silence. I frown. "I'm afraid I don't understand the question…"_

 _Silence. She smiles. "Oh my darling." Her hand reaches out to caress my cheek. "Someday you will…"_

 _The background darkens, I see her pretty white labcoat slowly drench in red blotches. "But…" The red fluid dribbles from her mouth and eyes, those beautiful blue orbs turning black until I could see my reflection in it. "…at what cost?"_

 _I reach out, but I can't. Seemingly paralyzed as Mother drops to the floor in that horrible crimson pool._

 _She whispers as my tears fall. "…At what cost?"_

 _Wait a minute. I can cry?_

 **}!{**

I sit up with a jolt, my core humming furiously with fear. I calm myself immediately, realizing I just had what people call a bad dream.

Been a few hours since my brush with Singularity's mercenaries, I was fortunate enough to escape Syccalea without further incident. I'd best not leave anything to chance in the future, knowing that this attempt will further complicate events in the future concerning my enemy.

It was all over the news, the spokesman for the corporation had made his announcement thirty minutes ago. He deemed it 'an isolated incident', reassuring that this little hiccup of theirs will not impede their efforts to serve the public as they have done for years.

The reporters have asked if they have a clue to whom it was that would, in their words, 'stoop this low to disrupt the peace'. The answer was the tyical political BS, they blamed it on the luddites.

Next step, get to the core of all the files I have downloaded.

From what I saw in that room, I had already decided what path to take, and I boarded a merchant vessel heading over to the trade capital of the Terminus Systems. Omega won't have much of SingularityCorp's lackeys hanging around on every corner, but I also knew that the last thing they would do is let me alone.

 _Won't be surprised if I find a hitman hiding in my laundry._

The information digging took longer than expected, and we were minutes away from our destination. Good thing the captain maintains a well-disciplined crew, seeing as how the workers left the passengers alone even when they found it strange that I sat with my eyes glued and unblinking on the window while my mind processed the raw data to what I could interpret properly apart from the rubbish.

What I found was one I could call a solid lead. While normally, SingularityCorp isn't into things like digging stuff up from dirt like other archeologist organizations, there were several files tagging priority one finds in clusters all over the ice world of Noveria.

 _Hmm…I wonder what's so special about that frozen tundra…_

Noveria is a planet held under the Noveria Development Organization, who lease out labs to perform research too dangerous or too questionable to be performed elsewhere. Makes sense, considering what Singularity is up to these days,

Given Noveria's unique situation, it is the source of many wild and conspiracy theories. This particular file indicates little about their more recent finds other than it says so that they did. Connecting the dots sure made my interest pique now more than ever.

I stroked my chin, deep in thought. Noveria is far away from the edge of the Terminus system, as it was located in the Horse Head Nebula cluster. I could head over to the black market first, buy a few things (my own ship for example) like a bigger arsenal and bigger closet.

Seriously, my clothes are falling apart with every escapade.

The entire crew, including me, were screened and tagged by security. A routine process, but one that made me tense when the scanners started to malfunction around me.

Something about my unshielded mass core emanated small electromagnetic pulses, bad news for anyone carrying a mass effect driven device- which is everything these days.

The batarian officer muttered something about murdering the tech jockeys back at base and waved me away. Walking up the streets, my eyes were overwhelmed with the station's sights. No city had ever had a motley variation of buildings like Omega, and none were as dirty as it was inside and out.

Cargo lifters and trucks zipped in and out of the skies, baleful red being the popular color of the station's neon lights. Asari prostitutes lined every other corridor in the streets and alleys, advertising their assets as magnificently as they could.

 _I might be one for enjoying life, but that's one road I won't go down on…._

Mercenaries and gangs roamed the rest, calling others to join their warbands and then ensuing a brawl every now and then. I hurried on, not wishing to be an unwilling victim of the daily body count in Omega.

I reached the markets, heading first for the ship dealer shops.

A volus in a red splotched enviro-suit greeted me warmly, alongside his elcor partner who was as accomodating. "Tentatively excited; Welcome to AsirenFlights Incorporated, where products firsthand is never secondhand."

I smiled at the effort of his sales pitch, "I'm here for a ship, not too big and not too small. Make it fast, agile and able to carry a payload worthy of a fighter."

After a moment of silence, and a couple of checking over the roster, the volus allowed his partner to deal with me while he waddled off to help another customer. "With Pride; take your time, we have what you need somewhere here."

The display was sent over to my Omni-Tool, and I was faced with a vast list of ships available for purchase that came with my expectations.

I had to decide between two, not at all caring about the cost since I could cover it with the amount of credits in my account. A faded turian interceptor, contrary to the sales pitch earlier since it was indeed a secondhand judging from the scratches added to its character. The second choice was another variant of an interceptor, similar to the Trident ships the Alliance boasts for its manueverability. While the second was a marvel to behold, looks are secondary to purpose for the trained eye.

I had to test that theory.

"I think I'll take it." I paid up front, getting synched with the interceptor as I ran my hands over the console, another trick I learned running hands all over the ships I hitchhiked with.

Then I noticed the retractable turret on the portside hatch, wondering if the interceptor was more of a troop transporter than a real fighter. The readings were geniune, indicating that it was faster than it looked on the outside.

I was never one for flying machines. But now that I owned one, I felt a queer sensation deep inside, pride over something as impressive as the one sitting in front of me. Taking it to the body paint shops, I decided to paint the tips dark green to match Mother's eyes, overlaying it completely with white in fondness over her white labcoat- the first among many things I saw waking up.

After this, I took out the ship and had it docked on Omega's harbor. While synched, nobody will be able to hack and steal the interceptor without alerting me, so I relaxed and continued on with my purchases and touring of the station.

The market here had a bigger array of products compared to the Citadel, owing to the even bigger line of competitive arms corporations and small time dealers.

 _Trade Capital of the Terminus indeed…_

I still had the Armax Arsenal armor I bought from the Citadel, so that crosses out armor and barriers from the list. I left my weapon and bag of knickknacks back on the Normandy when I escaped…a small loss easily replaced.

I was thankful I carried Mother's interface necklace at all times. I could never replace it.

"Hey darling.." a sultry voice called my attention above the noise of the crowd and the murmurs of disagreement over prices and haggling conversations. An asari dressed in a fine red dress that did little to cover the areas over her hips and thighs and black apron that had the name _Viki_ over her left. Shewas leaning casually on her doorstep, ellaborate tribal tattoos decorated her entire left arm and neck, showing what kind of profession she had. "You look like you need something to cover your skin…"

"I've got clothes, don't they do a good job?" I answer innocently. There, she pounced.

"You're not from around here, are you?" she laughed, "Of course not. I'm Viki, and personally, clothes are overrated. I'm just the person to see when you're tired of covering up with fabric all day long. And they certainly do a better job than clothes, with a better design."

"A tattoo? Why would I want a tattoo?"

She pushed off the door, turning to walk inside without breaking eye contact. "That, baby, is a question better answered inside."

Out of curiousity, I followed. She was already waiting, a hand laid on a leatherbound table. "So, what will you be having?" Viki showed me her collection, another choice to make with a more complicated list of options.

Even among all of these, I found angel wings the most appealing of their kind. Mother did always call me her little angel, why not go a bit practical with the notion?

"Folded angel wings, make it white with a quicksilver tint around the edges and over my shoulderblades." I say, moving to take off my coat and armor.

Viki politely turns around as I undo the clasp of the sports bra I wore underneath, and then laying flat on my stomach on the table.

I hear her turn and her feet shuffle to head over to grab her equipment. A small ink dotting pen was on her hand, "I hope you don't mind me being old fashioned. This might sting a bit." I felt her dab some ointment, something part of an ancient asari custom, and then felt the sting over my skin.

I didn't react at all, surprising both of us. Pain is a feeling I react to differently, able to ignore it like the casual touch of a feather on my head.

It took only a few minutes before I was standing with my back reflected to me with a mirror Viki provided.

I gave a sizable tip with the amount due to the artist, that tip coming with a peck on the cheek as I left the shop.

The rest of the day, I got over buying weapons parts instead of them as a whole. I wanted to experiment with the combinations running through my head, so while I test drove the Jaeger (german for 'hunter') I was sitting in the makeshift workbench coming up with the most effective form of weapon without sacrificing its good looks.

I came up with a one-of-a-kind rifle with a grenade launcher mod on the bottome, using parts from a salvaged Alliance Piranha shotgun's barrel and the body of a batarian military police's Argus rifle. The ammo I've come up with was a little tricky, concerning the type of magazine I fashioned halfway through the trip to the Relay.

People rarely use magazines with the availability of Mass Effect technology, and use thermal clips to cool down the mass accelerators within today's weapons.

I, however, understand the practicality of magazines. So, I started coming up with a rare type of ammunition that weapons designer teams would come up and enact in years, whereas I could do it in mere seconds of analyzing and eliminating simulations.

What I came up with was better than I hoped, though I have to give some credit to the technologies I analyzed from the data I pulled from the servers.

While there hasn't been anyone who invented a way to apply plasma for combat, pseudo-plasma stands as the available alternative. Except, pseudo-plasma was ever recorded to be used by the Geth.

Except, with Omega being a criminal underground, some more underhanded suppliers have been able to give me what I need. I was able to concoct a clustered smart missiles, tiny bearings the size of my thumb, to act as the secondary's barrel's payload. These rounds have been outfitted with a tracking program, while I pinpoint the opposition with the rifle's scope, the rounds will follow anywhere I fire and hit with deadly accuracy regardless of cover or obstacles. Downside was that it could accurately fire only within a ten yard radius, any more would result in disaster.

A little ceremony was in order, as I held up the fruit of my labors. I decided to call the new rifle born into this world with a simple one, Supremus. A fitting one, though perhaps not so simple.

The indicator beeped, alerting me that I was close to Noveria.

Using the time I had left, I added the latest upgrade I planned over the month to my body. While the Omni-Blade was extremely benefetial with closequarters combat, I considered what would happen if I was ever captured or in a much more dire situation. I was thinking ahead, if you will.

Taking my arms off, one after the other, right arm first, I added an extra kinetic absorber beneath the servos in the elbows. That way, my punches would be a hell of a lot more punishing with every strike- as well as faster.

Noveria loomed in front of me, the dark side of the frozen world illuminated at the edge by the sun as night took its place in the skies.

I took the Jaeger down and settled it over the mountains, choosing the most stable part of the rock so that I would avoid making and being in the way of an avalanche. The wind was howling like a wounded banshee, the snowstorm ever stronger as I descended further in.

While it was to be expected of Noveria to be less of a comm trafficked planet, I was getting the signature static of a lot of comm traffic indeed.

Something was up with Noveria, and the labs inside. If it wasn't SingularityCorp, or the other organizations Noveria Development have been catering, it certainly calls for an investigation.

The Jaeger made touch down with a thud. I put on the furlined jacket, not just because of the cold that stung my synthetic skin, but because my systems were never designed nor upgraded as much to compensate for extreme weather.

There, down between a mountain pass with a small valley stretching, a frozen iron installation was wedged securely in the snowed out rock. There was a secure channel that I was able to snag, following the line enough to access the network. I didn't stay too long, though. Already, I could feel the wires deep within me fizzle and complain from the harsh conditions I was exposed to.

Putting my gear securely, I leaned off and considered the distance from the top of the rock to the bottom.

Suddenly, I was able to crack the network, instantly gaining access to the laboratory's security feeds.

 _Hmm. That was fast! Goes to show that Noveria DevCorp isn't exactly as secure as Singularity is about their establishments. Too bad for them, too good for me…._

With that thought, I jump off, not bothering with rappeling since my platform was more than capable of handling a drop that sheer.

 _Oof!_ I land with a soft plush, the snow cushioning my body as I landed on all fours into the valley. This time, the mission would require a more stealth approach, considering that Singularity wasn't expecting anyone other than a said 'luddite terrorist'. Security was tighter further in, so I didn't have much problems getting close from the outside.

The lab was secure on all fronts, except the vents. I expected it would be complicated, imagining laser tripmines or some boobytrap like in the movies. But in reality, it was real simple.

I crawl through ventilation, careful with each progression and ignoring the heat of the air pulsing through that tunnel as I moved along the corridors.

And then, just like that, I stopped.

"Hmm…Forgive me, but I most sincerely doubt it could work. All the work we have done here or otherwise is of a sensitive nature. Yours, might not have the most meticulous of hands…"

Voice recognition protocols just kicked in; it was Saren Arterius!

My core hummed again, and I would be sweating had I the glands to do so. _What the hell is Saren doing on Noveria?_

Another voice, mysterious and alluring, joined in _ **. "The Board does not care about your opinion, Sir Arterius. We only care for the results."**_

 _The Board is here too!? Well now, the plot thickens…_

"Results I have yet to see, I gather?" Saren sounded bored, and I looked through the narrow slits. The tall, dignified and very villainous looking turian stood proudly with his hands held behind him.

An asari matriarch was at his side, with two geth soldiers standing close by. I had to guess that one was Matriarch Benezia.

Adressing them, with a blue holographic projection manifesting in their stead, was none other than the Board's avatar.

Of course, it was either that the Board changed leaders over the course of sixty years, or the other reason; them being an AI collective consciousness. There were several parameters and key indicators that the Board was running out of its preservation protocols, meaning that it was expiring.

 _I think that's why they want me so badly._ I frown at the realization, sad that Mother had to give her life for it and angry at Singularity all the more with reopening those old wounds.

The room was a demonstration area, and the Board avatar moved to send in the medium of the said demonstration.

" _ **While there have been some minor hiccups during this week, concerning the setbacks with Syccalea's terrorist bombing attempts, our efforts haven't suffered loss. Project Evolution 's first step has just been attaine, watch carefully."**_

Bored, Saren snapped. "Do make it fast, I have quite a tight schedule to keep today. My friend and I have someone else to talk with later in the morning hours."

There were two men in the glass box in the assembly area below, I had to strain to see them. One was undoubtedly a real flesh and blood man, and the other was a synthetic.

" _ **Based on the artifacts recovered on Noveria, as well as some I would purposely neglect to mention, we were able to apply base indoctrination protocols and pair it with genetic code rewriting."**_

The synthetic in the box turned robotically towards the test subject, _**"The protocols have been uploaded to unit A640-111, the first among many of our synthetics crafted from the Cradle. Now turn your attention to test subject 555, see how GCR will be incorporated as follows."**_

The test subject, obviously put into a hypnotic trance for some reason, shook visibly as something started to work its way into his system.

I scanned the room, feeling unknown waves of energy emanating from A640-111 as it continued to gaze at subject 555.

The man convulsed, gagged and wretched his stomach's contents on the floor, staining the metal surface with black bile and dark red blood. Matriarch Benezia remained as passive as ever, making me wonder whatever it was that Saren did to her.

 _What the hell does indoctrination mean?_

Subject 555, having done away with his wretching, stood up straight and stared blankly at the onlooking pair. Then, his eys turned bright blue, equally bright lines of blue traveling out from his eyes and down his cheeks. For what seemed like half and hour, he just stood there and remained so.

 _Indoctrination, so that's what it was…_

Characteristically, Saren clapped a polite pair and turned to the Board. "Very well, it was an interesting display, I'll give you that. My superior would be pleased with your progress."

" _ **We both know who exactly and what exactly is your superior, Sir Arterius. And you know your mission, we suggest you go on your merry way. We bid you adieu, for now."**_

The hologram disappeared, and the turian general walked away, taking Benezia with him along with the geth guards. Meanwhile, subject 555 remained as transfixed as ever, A649-111 still emanating that constant energy surge from his head.

Out of pity, I concentrated on hacking the android, thinking of a way to help the man however I can.

It worked, a little too well…

Gasping, I felt a sharp cool spike through my head as I felt my eyes burn with an intense flame. I'm just being dramatic in my expression, but that was real close to what I felt.

Like joining a multitude of voices, a tiny droplet in an ocean of minds. Whatever or whoever Singularity or the Board was dealing with, they were certainly unworldly and as unnerving as the name goes.

I felt like I knew them, and yet also knew it wasn't my mind telling me that. _Bad idea to hack every network AI you come across._ I wasn't in too deep, but I deep enough to feel those voices scream in a harsh crescendo, like a giant tidal wave and whirlpool threatening to drown me!

I break away, groaning as everything in my vision went black.

In the background, however, I could hear subject 555 break off from the glass box, screaming as he goes. I must've reversed the effects of that thing they called 'indoctrination', or whatever. Somehow, interfacing with A649-111 had put a snippet of that Reaper code in my programming.

 _That's not a good thing, you being interfaced with those monsters….let's not do that again…_

I slump and my consciousness fades away.

 _..that is, assuming if we wake up...ever…_

 **}!{**

 **Fun fact about indoctrination, it takes days before someone gets indoctrinated. Thing about Reapers is that they like to take things slow, Singularity doesn't.**

 **And yes, Singularity had always been focused on the Reapers, or rather the Board was.**

 **Hope you enjoyed that twist, I've got more incoming…**

 **As always, review and feel free to PM me...**


	9. Chapter 9: Meeting the Board

**}!{**

" _ **Sixty-six years, five months and three days. Yes, we've been counting…"**_

I try to sit up, stopped short of a mere two inches by the Omni-cuffs linked between the joints of my wrists.

" _ **A shame Dr. Nguyen invested so much in your 'freedom', Product No. 06. It goes to show how shortsighted human minds could be when clouded with petty sentiment."**_

"You don't know Mother. You don't know anything." I stare up at the ceiling, finding it useless to struggle even with my increased strength. Something was plugged in on my head, and I could see Singularity interfacing equipment all around the lab I was held in.

" _ **Perhaps. But then, why would it matter? The Board has what it needs, finally, after all that pointless waiting."**_

I think back to any option I had of escape, a little perturbed with the botched attempt involving that disturbing synchronization in that strange Collective earlier.

" _ **Do you know why you are so unique, No. 06?"**_

"The name is Kara. And I know I'm unique…unique enough for you to hunt me down like this…"

" _ **Close."**_ The Board's avatar hovered over me, its electrical blue eyes raking over my body like a child in a candy store. _**"You were the first artificial intelligence to have what the Board never could; Immortality. Such a waste of this gift too. While we, the true shapers of mankind, stagnated and faded over time, you roamed untouched nor corroded. What did you do with this freedom?"**_

"I lived." I glared up at them.

" _ **You pursued selfish interests. You aspire to become something you are not- a pinnochio-like desire to be more human."**_ The avatar was just like everything out of a science-fiction AI villain, hateful of anything non-machine. The basic nature of what I would have become had Mother not set me free.

I could feel them reach deep into my programming, extracting fragments of code that Mother's interface chip had done to me. I tried to fight it, but the pull was too strong. My vision glitched up and I could see the avatar's manifestation strengthen with every pulsation of code.

 _Codes. Codes. It's all about codes…If only immortality for organics was so simple…_

One last try, as everything turned borderline black. I probe for my mass generator to go full throttle, letting the EMP rise to a crashing beat. Keeping on struggling, my mind reached and lashed against every electornic device and equipment in the base.

 _You won't take Mother's gift from me!_

All of a sudden, the lights blinked, and the Board's avatar flickering in and out with its features contorting to one angry face. _Come on Kara, you can do it, just one more push!_

" _ **It matters little if you escape, we have what we need. You cannot stop what's-**_

There was a high pitched whirring sound before a powerful electric wave burst from me and the lights went dead! The alarms blared all over the base, and the Omni-cuffs that held me to the table were instantly despawned, I rose up and tore the wretched little device plugged in my head and threw it aside.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I turned to the avatar, satisfied in hearing nothing but silence. _I was pretty sure they were going to say 'you cannot stop what's coming'. Typical movie villain speech, sheesh…._

"Okay, time to get out of here." The alarms screamed Alert Level Omega, way too far above what they thought about me, though it flatters me to think I was the reason. Peeking outside the lab confirmed what I was thinking; dog-sized little monsters that resembled a lot like ants skittered out of the open doors and into the hallways!

I slam the door shut as one tried to peek inside, calling the attention of the others and sending their nasty little tendrils stabbing against the metal surface. _I guess it's back to the vents for me…_

The ventilation shaft was tighter in this section, a squeeze of a mere two feet and a half, quite an accomplishment concerning the size of my hips as I wormed my way into the wider half of the tunnel.

Screams from overwhelmed lab associates filled the corridors below, followed by the angered squeals from the ants as the red horde marched on. Whatever they were seeking must've been a lot more important than hunting down their human captors, because from studying their behavior I could tell they were all headed in one general direction.

The cam feeds were dying out one by one, until all I could access was another of those testing chambers I first saw the turian Saren. This one was a lot bigger, designed to house a bigger version of the ants outside.

Then it hit me. A file was snagged while I backtracked through the chaotic mass of data in the Noverian DevCorp network. The creatures were supposed to be an extinct race of sentient insects called the Rachni, known for their unique psintegret collective consciousness. Though, a better way to remember them by was that they nearly wiped all life in the galaxy a long time ago.

 _I wonder what they're doing here now?_

Then I saw them, both Matriarch Benezia and Saren in the same room as the alpha. Alpha, no, it was the Queen without a doubt. Saren was pacing behind the Matriarch, ans she stood with her hands out to calm the enraged beast in the containment glass beyond.

There was hardly any words coming from the feeds, drowned out by static. But I could easily tell that Saren was getting impatient from their supposed interrogation, while Benezia was doing her best extracting the information through an ancient asari mind melding technique.

As I crawled on towards my path outside, I suddenly had this unknown feeling about the Matriach. No asari, no normal ones technically speaking, acted the way she did. Looking in, I spied her cold demeanor and emotionless expression, seeing electric blue beneath the eyelashes that screamed indoctrination like subject 555.

Whatever I did prior to my capture, absorbing a fragment of that Reaper code, it sent a feedback that disrupted the effects of indoctrination.

 _Wait a minute. How exactly did I know that code was Reaper technology? What's happening to me?_ It would seem that my repeated interfacing had sent in some random information that barely got to my attention until the last second. But I toned the questions down, knowing that those can wait and that I had an asari Matriarch to save and a rogue turian Spectre to kill.

 _I seem to have a knack for picking up talents everywhere I go.._

Suddenly, the sound of automatic gunfire reached my auditory receptors. Then, the voices of people attacking the Rachni as they advanced down the hall. I groan when I recognize the voices.

 _Commander Shepard is the last person I want to see in this life…_

I shake my head and stop short, coming face to face with a Rachni who had the same idea as me and crawled into the vents. _Shit._

I yell as the oversized ant wrestled and stabbed at me, the wicked pincers tearing a hole beneath us and dropping us right smack in the middle of the Alliance fire team! I kick the insect off and follow a strong jab into its midsection, tearing it apart with my bare hands.

Only now, I wish I could've killed it without revealing my ability to fight barehanded and thus reveal my identity to the Commander.

"Only one person I've seen in my life can do that." I hear weapons shift from shoulders to aim at my back. "Long time no see, Kara."

"Believe me, I take no pleasure in our reunion." I send a biotic blast down the hall, scaring off the indoctrinated servants of Benezia and warping out the Rachni. "Point those weapons elsewhere or I'll shove them up where the sun don't shine!" I snarl uncharacteristically. Tali, who came along with the mission with Garrus and Liara, waved timidly at me. "Hi Kara."

I nod once in her direction and say, "If you've got a grievance against me, I'd advise you to take it elsewhere. I've got a Matriarch to save and a turian Spectre to kill."

The others looked at the Commander for example, and she lowered the gun a bit. I ignore them and stomp towards the lab I saw Benezia interrogate the Rachni Queen.

"Commander, what should we do?" Liara asked.

Shepard just shrugged, the suspicious frown not even leaving her face, "I don't know. That's all I can say about it."

"Commander, they're coming back!" Garrus cried in alarm.

More Rachni poured in from the open hatches and emergency exits, all of them converging in on the Commander and her squad! I spy the security checkpoint ahead, on the table lay my Supremus auto-cannon. A few short steps and the gun was safe in my hands, unleashing volley after deadly volley into the maddened throng.

Garrus whooped as he took heads off, Tali blasting apart the horrid things with her shotgun whenever they got too close. Liara, the team's biotic expert, combined her abilities with me and successfully repeled the deadly red wave.

Shepard opened her mouth to say something, probably nice or other, but I didn't want to hear it now. "Later, Commander." I say, "There's plenty of time for that later."

We go together, the wariness wearing off every fight we finish together. I can call that progress, concerning the terms we parted on the last time we saw each other.

A few moments later, we emerged into that lab, after facing off against the Queen's enraged drones. Saren had already left, which was no surprise, leaving us to deal with a hostile powerful biotic in his place.

"You..shall..not..pass.."

I nearly guffawed at those words, reminiscing of a popular 21st Century film franchise of a medieval fantasy classic.

 _Okay, this might hurt you a lot more than it hurts me.._ "Sorry, Madame Benezia." I concentrate just enough to send one of my own augmented mind wave, the direct opposite of an indoctrinative influence- like a counteract to a brainwash- fairly easy to come up with but difficult to maintain. Just as the Matriarch prepared her biotics for battle, I run up to her and press my fingers into key nerve clusters on her head- none of which is key to taking off indoctrination but helps distract the Matriarch while the real effects sink in.

"What are you doing?!" Liara cried out, afraid to see her mother get hurt- which she was, concerning how long she was under a Reaper's influence.

Benezia was on her knees, her nose bleeding dark purple asari blood as her mind was strained to breaking point, she screamed in pain with each consecutive pulse- and cramping pressure of my fingers agains her skull. Her eyes blinked, pure black at one second, electric blue the next and then back to its natural azure blue state!

Everything in the room started to float, including the fire team, all except for the Matriarch and me. In the eye of the storm, if you will.

 _That might be a sign that it's working…_

And worked it did! Benezia's eyes rolled up and showed white, she slumped forward and into my waiting arms. That was also when everything that was floating, suspended five feet off the ground and swirling around like a whirlwind, came crashing down.

"Eep!" Tali squeaked as she landed on Garrus, Garrus grunting as he hit Shepard with his foot, and Shepard hissing as she twisted something whilst flattening Liara with her back! That moment I saved a picture in my head to commemorate for future engagements, oh what fun!

"Mother?" Liara got up, untangling herself from the others and rushing to the Matriarch's side. "Mother can you hear me?" When she heard nothing save for the labored breathing of the asari, she looked up at me. "What did you do to her?"

"I un-indoctrinated her, you're welcome by the way. Saren can no longer control her as he did in the past." I say, cradling her head in the crook of my arm as I hoisted her up. "We'll need to get her to a doctor, and fast."

Shepard nodded, cringing as all she heard from the comms was static. "We'll get topside as soon as we're done."

"Not to be a fussbudget, but, is anyone going to worry about the giant spider starting a rampage in the other room?" Garrus, apparently showing symptoms of arachnophobia, piped up nervously while pointing his thumb at the Rachni Queen who was glaring through the glass.

"That, Commander.." I say with a smirk, "Is all yours."

"I hate you."

 **}!{**

 **I must admit, I totally did not expect it to go down that way. An idea just popped in my head about the indoctrination issue. What if it can be reversed, an AI against an AI, eh? Leave a review and tell me what you think, I soooo want to keep it please say the same :)**

 **Anyway, to adress the questions of a certain reader named Eye of Sparta, I will post my chapters during the weekends two by two if you don't expect me to post every other day…**


	10. Chapter 10: Unindoctrination

**Okay first off, I want to adress the elephant in the room.**

 **I know many of you have similar reactions to the indoctrination thing as illustrated in the last chapter.**

 **While it is indeed new and very near impossible concerning that a few decades old synth like Kara could undo what a billion year old Reaper has perfected in doing for countless millenia.**

 **Benezia wasn't afflicted as long as Saren, so with a few short therapy sessions of anti-Reaper influence done by that technique Kara learned, she can be good as new- albeit having a bad headache afterwards.**

 **Don't worry, there'll be an explanation for it.**

 **Just forgive me if the details I have about this idea are a little faroff- I'm just writing what's brimming off the top of my head.**

 **This chapter is basically a continuation of Chapter 9, so it's going to be kind of short. Sorry again.**

 **}!{**

"Will she be alright?"

Dr. Chakwas smiled as she looked over the results of the medical exam, "Thankfully nothing too serious. Aside from having a bad headache in the morning, I'm confident she will be up and about in no time."

Liara nodded gratefully, both in the doctor's direction and mine, then she turned to hold her mother's hand as she rested.

Shepard was standing at the door, her teeth chewing on her lower lip. I could tell she was weighing her options, most about what to do with me. While I definitely helped saving Benezia, I was still the object of a galaxy wide manhunt. Shepard was a Commander of the Alliance Navy, but that authority goes so far.

I look down at my hands, noting the charred fingertips from coming in contact with Benezia when I un-indoctrinated her.

My mind was already down on its haunches analyzing what and how I just did that. I knew that some part was pure brainwash- classic visual and audio influence, the other had a more complicated problem.

The same way I can feel every and any electronic based device around me, the same way with the security mechs passing my way on Syccalea, I felt something just as similar within the Matriarch's brain.

The Reapers must've put smaller versions of themselves, like those experimental nanomachinations Singularity has never perfected until now. Those things the Cradle had formed were walking Reaper nanobot carriers, and I could only come to one logical conclusion to that.

Saren was tied with Singularity. No doubt about it, with his top lieutenant out of the picture, there will be nothing short of desperation in his plans.

"She won't be fine, not yet anyway." I say, and everyone turns to me in surprise.

"Dr. Chakwas, I'm sure you have screened the Matriarch as thorough as you could. But, I fear the worst is not over."

"What are you talking about?" Shepard asked, "Not to sound like I'm playing the blame game, but it was you who put her in the bed with that little trick you pulled back on Noveria."

"That 'trick' was the only way to spare a someone from losing her mother." I refer to Liara, "The Matriarch is still in danger of Saren's influence with those nanomachines in her head." I held nothing back, knowing it was the right thing to do.

"No!" Liara wailed, "She can't be!"

"Well, why don't you do a little bit of that psychic thing and get them out of there?" I wasn't even sure if Shepard was half joking about it.

I shake my head, "It's not that simple, I have never tested this new technique before. It was a miracle that it worked to our benefit back down there. It might kill her if I try again without proper procedure."

"Well you better figure it out soon, Benezia's the only lead we have right now to Saren's plans." Shepard, ever the get-results kind of woman, crossed her arms. "And I have no desire to have her, as you say 'indoctrinated', to act in hostility nor wind up dead on my watch."

Shoving aside the feeling of being threatened, I nod. "Understood, give me approximately thirty minutes."

"I'll keep her sedated until then." Dr. Chakwas says.

Shepard nodded and gave me some space, but never leaving the room as I sat on the doctor's desk and ran the simulations through my head.

"Do you need some help with your wounds?" The kind elderly physician asked.

I shake my head once then continue running the simulations for the next thirty-two minutes.

"Thank you, for what you are doing for my mother." Liara said.

"Don't thank me yet. There is no certainty the purging process will work." I say as I get up. My fingers flexed and my engine was stilled to a quiet hum, "Here we go. Dr. Chakwas, I am ready."

Benezia hadn't moved since we placed her on the bed, and she remained still. I surmounted all my doubts and concentrated on screening the frontal lobe- knowing that it was the most likely place any mind controling machine would target.

Sure enough, I was getting a lot of activity, dormant but just under the Matriarch's skin. Once I attempted to access the Reaper nanites, however, this triggered a self-defense mechanism, and the Matriarch sat up suddenly!

"Quick! Hold her down before she gets-

I never finished the sentence, making a loud _Oof!_ as Benezia biotically tossed me aside. Liara was quick, thankfully, and walloped her mother just above the nose and knocked her out!

"Nice shot!" I exclaim, moving with the doctor to apply the restraints. "Who knew an archeologist could hit that hard?"

Liara smiled shyly, backing off into a corner. "Shall we try this again?" I ask.

"Whatever it takes." She hangs her head and bites her thumb anxiously.

Shepard burst in, "What happened? I heard shouting in the medlab." She glances at the Omni-cuffs on Benezia and understands the situation in an instant. "Oh. Carry on."

"Here we go." I do something akin to taking a deep breath and hold my hands over the unconscious asari's head. The nanites were high and active now that I disturbed them, spreading out and multiplying all across her spinal cord and up through the cerebral cortex.

 _Dammit._

I can't override their code with the equipment I have on hand without risking total brain damage. And I can't let the nanites stay in there or they'll multiply at an exponential rate and infect everyone else on this ship- they might have done so already.

I tell the dilemma and request for the room to go under quarantine while I worked. The Commander does what I ask, and the doctor stands by outside to provide whatever it was that I needed.

Liara's supportive attitude inspires me to work harder, now working for more than sixteen hours non-stop.

I wasn't about to give up, but I knew my window was closing fast. I had to understand how difficult it is to save someone once exposed to this particular type of indoctrination. But then a ridiculously brilliant idea hit me.

Would it work? Possibly. Do I have any other choice?

 _I hate my life…_

My plan was to simulate a mindmeld, not too different from the way asari mate psintegretally. It would take a much more complicated procedure, I was a synthetic created to inhibit characteristics of organics- basically a syntheto-organic, but not much else. This venture would be a step away from impossible.

But like I said. I'm determined, and I'm like Mother that way.

I needed a way to simulate a nervous system for the Matriarch to bond with, and that meant a more complex process to fool her own nervous system into thinking I'm genuine. I can adjust.

Sure, I could ask Dr. T'Soni to do it for me, but I can't risk anyone else to do this procedure. Obviously, Shepard, the crew including Liara are close as friends can be. I'm a stranger, no matter how much they color it, and I'm expendable.

Another cold fact about life, and I'm used to it.

 _I can do another day to get through, another problem to solve before I head out to finish Singularity._

The purge process was started, this time taken with the utmost precautions. But even then, I found it extremely difficult to shield myself from the tidal wave of emotions from the unnatural bonding process. Matriarch Benezia's memories were a jumble, an understandable side effect concerning that it was a fake neural link she was tied with.

Then came the multitude of voices, like a stream filling my head with code. The nanex was communicating with an outside reciever, and this one was a big one.

It took every ounce of my will to resist the urge to stand by and listen while I shut every nanex inside the Matriarch's head, the voices joining together into one godlike entity, and I have to admit I was awed by the things I saw.

But I will never speak of it. It's too much for me to process…

I gasp, staggering back as I felt my systems shutdown one by one to prevent overload. Hell, I was feeling overloaded right about now!

Everything was buzzing around my audio receptors, and glitches had fully covered my vision.

Then, nothing…..

 **}!{**

"Hey, I know you can hear me."

I yip as I felt the Commander slap me awake, "Alright, I'm awake! Get off me!" I push her off and sit up, turning my gaze to mother and daughter embracing each other after that long ordeal.

 _Hmm, congrats Kara, you've just learned how to meld with other species. What's next, are you going to grow hair tentacles and turn blue now?_

Despite the jibes I make at myself, I certainly felt proud I can be of assistance.

"I don't know how you managed to pull that one off, I owe you one."

"Damn right you do." I say and walk unsteadily out the medbay. Shepard reached out to catch me before I hit the floor again. I figuratively swallow that bitter pill they call pride and say, "Help me down back to the Jaeger, I need to power up."

"Ms. Kara?" Liara called my attention, "Thank you for everything you've done." She says this amidst tears.

"Yeah, don't mention it." I mutter, and the Commander leads me on, setting me down on the metal cot inside the Jaeger that acted as my workbench as well.

"Keep your crew away, I prefer the privacy." My voice tone gets really distorted, a clear sign that I was running low.

"Whatever works for you." I can tell she was cooking up a conversation for when I wake up. I can only hold off on the thoughts as I lay back to sleep.

 _Please don't have nightmares…I've had enough of dreamwalking to last a lifetime or two…._

 **}!{**


	11. Chapter 11: Conscription

**June 30 2016…Happy Birthday to me, and congratulations on reaching the age of eighteen! Ah, life is good. Even better with my beloved readers responding positively to Sentience. New resolution; I'll try to update every three days- no promises, just a goal.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **}!{**

"Headed somewhere?"

I look up, in the middle of mending the tears in my skin from the battles on Noveria, and see the Commander eyeing the packed footlockers and readied interceptor. I was glad for the distraction, getting edgy from the Alliance marines eyeing me out of curiousity or disdain from all around.

"You sound as if you expected me to stay." I pack up the soldering stick, tying the sweater down around my waist and jumping down from the Jaeger's wing from which I was perched.

I turn my back, feeling her eyes on the angel wing tattoos peeking out from the exposed skin from my black tanktop.

"The thought crossed my mind." She leans on the cockpit window. "But if you don't want to, I won't stop you."

"Truth be told, you can't." I correct her, making one more round through the Jaeger's flight systems. Somehow, this feels like déjà vu, pretty close to how we first met.

 _Yeah, and look how that ended up…_

"Doesn't mean I won't try to convince you." She says with a knowing smirk.

I roll my eyes, "Okay, out with it. Give me your best shot."

Shepard shrugged, "Nothing too fancy. I just think it'll be useful to have an AI on our side, especially considering the number of things you can do as well as the others you might figure out on the way." She continues, "You can tag along, help us stop Saren and whatever he's planning. In return, I help you take down Singularity. What do you say?"

I feel being manipulated, Shepard knew that Singularity was tied with the Reapers as well as Saren. This little comeback backfired on me, and now I see a way to end both fronts just as quickly.

Time is of the essence, and either threats mustn't be ignored eitherway. After a moment of drumming my recently re-manicured fingers on the table, I make my decision.

"Well, I hate sounding like I'm playing hard to get. But I still get to keep the Jaeger, and you have to tell your superiors to stop hounding me and pursue Singularity instead, alright?"

"I'll see what I can do, and there's a lot of that since I'm a Spectre."

I shake her hand and say, "So, Commander, what will you have me do?"

"For now, I need an extra pair of eyes on the Matriarch. While we already obtained the information needed, she's not exactly in her best form. Dr. Chakwas will be waiting."

"A nurse's duty huh? Alright, I'm game." I didn't exactly sound too excited, but I had a lively step as I donned the jacket back over my tanktop.

Karin was rearranging the medigel packets on the shelves, and I went over to help her, eyeing the asari Matriarch slumbering peacefully where she lay. Liara was sitting next to her, bent down over as she dozed off from conversing overnight.

The day wears on, and I was amazed how the crew relaxed around me. This navigator officer named Pressley took longer than they did, an understandable reaction since he grew up in a place that hated all things alien.

That goes for me too.

I was kind of suspecting that once we returned the Matriarch to the Citadel and the Commander submitted her report, the Council would probably not welcome the both of us with open arms.

 _No, just me…_

I went down at lunchtime to the Mess Hall, Garrus was on a dextro-amino diet with Tali and was on a separate table away from the human members of the crew. Gunnery Chief Williams was still giving me that look, while Lieutenant Alenko just made a friendly wave.

I sat myself down beside Tali, and she glanced down at my tray. "Wait, you can eat?"

I nod with a smile, "Why yes, I can." The processed lambchops combined with lettuce goes down my gullet for emphasis. Looking for a pleasant conversation starter, I say. "If you want, I can explain the entire mechanics of how I process the food into energy."

"Oh please do!" Tali bounds excitedly, "This is a useful thing to teach the flotilla after my Pilgrimage!"

Fortunately, I don't have to explain too much. Tali, being a quarian, had a knack for taking one look or listening for a minute to something that concerns machinery and get the gist of it right then and there. A race of technological geniuses, I find that the quarians had technology advanced well beyond the help of Prothean archives.

Time flies quickly as we exchange facts and ideas, ranging from weapons developments to the more sensitive topics. I don't share my ideas of how to create a way for quarians to live outside of their enviroment suits, not wanting to bring up any false hopes and worried that my lack of expertise in biochemical engineering and genetics would make things worse.

 _One idea at a time, Kara. One idea at a time._

Just then, the Normandy's pilot announced our arrival on Citadel space. Joker made some quip about the reception party at the docks. Apparently, news really does travel fast around the galaxy.

People heard about one of the asari's top ranking Matriarchs being in league with the rogue Spectre, and now the reporters swarmed in like vultures. Huerta Memorial Hospital staff was ready by the time we got through the crowd and had Benezia placed under the care of one of Dr. Chakwas' close friends.

But then, I had to expect what was about to happen next. C-Sec demanded that I come with them for questioning, another interview I was in no mood for. Shepard stepped in and made them drop the issue, but I knew this was just the first of a long line of different parties vying for possession of the technological applications stored in my memories.

"Makes me wonder how they got that bit of info." I voice my suspicions out loud.

"Even in the Alliance, there are loopholes the media can go through." Shepard agrees, "But that doesn't mean the crew of the Normandy is at fault, I trust all of them, that includes you."

"No matter, I'm staying inside the ship at all times anyway." I take great pains avoiding attention on the streets as I made my way back to the docks. True to my words, I spent the weekend cooped up in the Jaeger while Shepard handled things on the Citadel.

In truth I was in a really big hurry to get away, unable to stand the said vultures flying overhead.

As a way to pass the time, I go through my inventory and take apart the Armax Arsenal armor. With several pints of symmilacra as well as the salvaged pieces of Geth hunters, I create a stealth suit. Reliably strong, light around the feet and hips, and still housing my previous barrier generator, I donned the spandex-felt suit and then moved on to other projects.

I've always wondered why people never grasped the use of plasma for combat applications, the only recorded race in the galaxy to use such weapons were the Geth and those were just pseudo-plasma not the real deal.

I have no equipment on hand, again, to put this plan into action. Also, I had no intention of getting the attention of the ever techno-hoarding STG of the Salarian Union either. But boredom makes you do things, get my meaning?

"Hey Kara, whatcha working on?" I heard Tali call as she went over from the Normandy's drive core.

With some empty bottles stacked up in a row, I held up the Omni-Tool I was fidgeting with a grin, "Check this out." I drew my hand back like a discus thrower, an Omni-Glaive appeared and I thrust my arm forward. The glaive spun like a boomerang, slicing a neat cut through each bottle's neck and bouncing off the wall to return to me.

"Keelah, what is that?!" Tali exclaims as the holographic weapon dissapates upon return.

"The first of many combat applications for the innocent little Omni-Tool." I say simply.

"Just watch where you're throwing that, the Normandy's cargo bay isn't a gun range." Ashley barked with a scowl. She turns to help the new recruits on their way to their respected positions.

 _I love you too, sweetheart.._ I thought with a roll of my eyes. "I believe that's who you call a bosh'tet?"

"I doubt you know the real meaning of the word." Tali whispers with a mischievous snicker. "But I have to agree on this one."

I say thoughtfully, "You surprise me Tali."

"About what?"

"Well, as a member of a race who had been driven from their homeworld by the Geth, I would've thought you'd have given me a wide berth like the others."

She replied without hesitation, as if she knew I would bring this up. "I'll have to admit, it's hard to like the Geth when you've lost some friends to them- courtesy of this damned war we have to put up with every time we cross paths with them. But deep down, I don't really blame them for being hostile- our ancestors tried to dispose of them after signs of sentience started to spring up- I'll have you know."

Inwardly, I felt myself bristle. "So don't you feel the same way with me, threatened?"

She shrugs, an answer that surprises even me. "My people can call me ignorant and bordering on treachery, but I can't help it. I like you."

I had to smile, detecting no hint of lies whatsoever in her voice and mannerisms. "You honor me, Ms. Zorah."

"Ah, Commander." I greet Shepard as she arrives with a fresh supply of MRE's and thermal clips. "Ready for the next mission?"

She nods, having us all gathered in the briefing room. Our next deployment would be on Feros, an ExoGeni Corporation owned colony named Zhu's Hope. News had reached Alliance intelligence that there had been reports of rogue Geth activity. Commander Shepard believed that if there was Geth involved, Saren won't be too far behind.

Upon dismissal, Joker took the Normandy out through the Relay and sped into the Attican Traverse. I stood with the Commander at the helm, and she glanced down at the suit I was equipped with.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

I smile, "You'll see soon enough, then again, you might not." I chuckled at her reaction, "When we're down there, a stealth suit comes in handy."

"Doesn't look anything like mine, where'd you get it?" She compares with the Alliance crafted armor specially made for infiltration specialists.

"I made it." I turn around, feeling somewhat embarassed of everyone starin at how the suit accentuate's one's curves. "I can make one for you if you'd like."

"Coming up on Feros now, Commander." Joker announces, "Looks like we've got geth comm chatter all over the place. But get this, the colony's beacon is still up."

Orcan and Vardet, the planet's moons, came up as the Normandy slowed to impulse. I found myself intrigued by the intact structures left by the Protheans before us, tall obelisks that sprang out of the dust clouds like redwoods in Earth's forests.

I don't know if anyone noticed, but clearly the dust clouds were formed not out of Feros' natural climate or weather. The clouds showed signs as a resulting fallout of some sort, I had to guess that some kind of battle was fought on Feros a long long time ago, probably the Protheans fighting against some overwhelming threat.

 _From the things I've heard Shepard say about the Reapers, that can only come to one logical conclusion. I'll dismiss it for now, but this train of thought isn't over…_

Amazingly, Feros houses an intact ancient Prothean aqueduct that spanned across the planet's two poles. Other than that, a vast network of barely intact cities were half-buried in rubble that Zhu's Hope's colonists hoped to salvage from as a living.

"I'm detecting signs of geth networks all over the place alright." I announce as the fire team gathered around the airlock. "With your permission, Commander, I can scout ahead and mark the opposition."

"Can your new suit handle it?" She asks as she donned her helmet.

I nod and switch the stealth mode on, disappearing completely out of sight. "Shall I?"

"Can we move this along? I've been cooped up in the back of the ship for far too long!" Wrex complains as he inches over to the front of the crew.

"Go ahead, stay within comm range. I've no plans of anyone dying on my watch today." She says as the warm and humid air poured into the airlock as the doors opened.

"Please." I say casually, "I'm a synth, I can't die per se." False confidence, the type that'll definitely get me killed. With that, I power up the stealth field and move out silently ahead of the squad.

 **}!{**

 **I appreciate all the feedbacks from my loyal viewers, have a good one and stay tuned :D**


	12. Chapter 12: Killing Plants

**If I haven't said it before, I'll say it now.  
I've never actually thoroughly played the first part of the Mass Effect trilogy, thus some of the facts are failed to be mentioned. Pardon me, dear readers, I'll do my best going through wikipedia and make do with what I've got.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **}!{**

"Kara, how are things on your end?"

I huff irritably, punching my open-palmed hand like a spear through a Geth rocketeer's blinking flashlight-looking head. "Apparently, the Geth have upgraded their software since the last time I've hacked into their network." I pull out my hand, ripping a few wires out and waiting for that telltale whirring down noise that indicated the android's death.

"Fortunately not so much on their hardware." I raise the Supremus rifle, marking several targets and sending the smart missiles humming out into the air and detonating on impact.

"I wouldn't be so sure!" Tali cried out, ducking behind a stack of crates.

I expected an ambush, but never expecting it from Zhu's Hope's colonists themselves! And then we had to deal with Geth on the sidelines. _What the hell's going on here?_

Wrex laughed as one of the colonists, them showing signs of another form of indoctrination, tried to engage him in close quarters combat.

Big mistake, something he later found out as the massive krogan's fist threw him over the freeway! Wrex seemed to lose interest with every passing second, "Come on, make it a bit more challenging!"

More of those humanoid creeper-infested corpses sprang from their holes. The universe certainly had a way with making things worse when you least expect it. "Wow, thanks Wrex."

"Maybe we should've seen this coming?" Kaidan remarked, tossing a few with his biotics. For some reason a kill tally roster sprang like an electronic HUD in my vision, the number increasing with each felled enemy.

"That's seventeen and still counting." I speak into the comms.

"Oh, we competing for body counts now?" Tali comments, sending out her favorite combat drone. "Go for the optics, Chatika!"

Things have gotten fairly interesting further through the day. We learned that ExoGeni has found an ancient and very dangerous sentient alien plant called the Thorian, Zhu's Hope's colonists were the unfortunate victims of the corporation's pathetic containment procedures.

"Keep your head down, kay?" I whisper to the girl we found in the headquarters' basement. She tucks the pistol in her holster and does as she was told, a fairly smart move concerning that she started shooting at the Commander when we emerged into the building earlier.

The fight onwards takes us through a series of geth constructed forcefields, effectively hindering our progress and slowing us to a crawl. Fortunately, like all geth made structures, this one was linked into their network. I may not be able to hack the geth multi-encypted firewalls of the main servers, but I could at least tear a hole in their defenses to get us going.

"So glad I brought you along, then." Shepard says in amazement, which made me smile.

We make short work of the geth and got out of the ExoGeni headquarters, restoring communications worldwide as we disabled the jamming transmitter the geth have set up.

The Mako, our ground transporter, was making its reassuring deep rumbling when we emerged out into the light. The sun was high up in the sky, casting its beautiful red colors all across the dust clouds.

I started humming the song of Fleet and Flotilla, a movie made famous for its depiction of quarian and turian relationships. Something about everything forbidden, by chemistry or otherwise, seemed to appeal to the generation today.

That part didn't matter, because the next thing I knew was that Tali was singing along too.

 _Not bad of a voice in my book…_

Ashley, seated in the front turned with a raised brow visible through her helmet's visor. I shrug and sort of giggle as Shepard starts to hum along with the catchy tune. It wasn't long before we were interrupted by Lizbeth Baynham, the girl we rescued on our way through the ExoGeni headquarters.

I check the radio and listen in on the comm channel it picked up. Apparently, one of the survivors, an ExoGeni representative named Ethan Jeong whom we encountered earlier that day prior to the revelation of the existance of the mind contolling plant, was fiercely agitated on the other line before it went dead.

Shepard told Kaidan to drive back through the Skyway from which we came and had me follow her out to see what was going on. As we neared the garage doors, we were met with Representative Jeong, and he was escorting Lizbeth's mother at gunpoint outside- probably to do the obvious and shoot her.

Against the wishes of the Commander, Lizbeth breaks cover and goes over to embrace her mother. _Not a move I would make in any situation._

Reluctantly, Shepard follows with me and Wrex in tow. Our guns were drawn and Jeong's security had theirs drawn as well but were obviously outgunned and undermanned.

Also, with the network up and running after the dampening fields were lifted, I was able to trace a recent message sent from the corporation to Mr. Jeong.

Get this, they want to purge the colony. And by purge, everyone knows what that means.

But again, not my mission and not my decision. Shepard makes the calls around here, and from the look of things I expect a 99.6 per cent chance someone gets shot, and I hope inwardly it doesn't send someone out in a bodybag.

Shepard tries to reason with Jeong, failing miserably and agitating him further. When his gun lifts to discharge, I send an directional EMP wave to jam his pistol. While he fidgets around to fix his botched up weapon, I disarm him with a paralyzing bolt from my Omni-Tool.

Jeong drops to the ground, convulsing in pain, and his guards surrender without further incident, dropping their guns in assurance of their intentions.

"Nice." Shepard nods her approval.

"I was hoping for a little something more." Wrex grumbles and knocks them out with two well placed punches.

"Until we reach this 'Thorian' and eliminate it out of the equation, expect a lot more than just this, Wrex." I say as I cuff the three ExoGeni cronies and walk back with the Baynhams in tow.

As a form of gratitude, the mother and daughter explained to us the dangers involving the Thorian. Spores, fortunately for us since we wore our helmets the whole time, are present in the air and expand the Thorian's ability to control the minds of everyone on Feros. Dr. Baynham had come up with a makeshift gas grenade specially engineered to take out the spores and Thorian creepers without harming the civilians, basically a glorified planticide.

"Ingenius work, doctor." I admire the crude design and its simplicity as well, one talent humans were known for. I turn to Shepard, "Commander, shall we make our appointment with this plant and end this nightmare- for Zhu's Hope's sake?"

"Oh right, I'm forgetting the time." She refers to the sun slowly dipping into the horizon, again casting a beautiful glow that the whole team misses out on except me as we returned to the Alliance APC.

 _Honestly, why is it so unimportant to notice?_

Kaidan goes full throttle, everyone jerking up violently with every stone the Mako's wheels came in contact with. The colony comes in sight, but as we expected, the Geth prepared to mount one more desperate attempt to halt us in our tracks. Geth armatures and towering Collosi started bombarding the Mako, making several narrow misses from the corridor we were forced to go on the skyway as well as some dents in the tank's armor that'll stay for some time.

The skyway, however, did not fare as well as us, the cracks giving way to one massive collapse!

"Hold on to something!" Kaidan yells, his arms straining against the controls to keep the Mako steady as it skidded to a halt, just inches from the broken off bridge's edge! "Wow, that was a close one!"

"I'm not sitting in here while the Geth batter us from the outside!" Shepard exclaims, priming up her Viper rifle and preparing to leave the Mako, "Anyone on me?"

"You're going to get yourself killed alone out there." I mutter as I follow her with Wrex lumbering behind. As we gained ground, we spied several Thorian controlled colonists join the fray, and I look to the Commander for her order.

"Watch the spray, don't shoot the colonists!" She yells, yanking the pin out of the special gas grenades Baynham provided us with and lobbing it in one good arc. The invisible gas disperses, and the colonists affected by it start to collapse on the battlefield like when I tased Jeong.

"Roger that!" Kaidan acknowledges, he found a solid patch of earth where he could drive the Mako through, backing up our fire with the cannon and taking out the heavier enemies with its beautiful blue explosions!

The smart missiles were expended out of my Supremus rifle, so I hunker down behind a wrecked pillar to scan for some loopholes in the Geth network. Nothing came up and I huffed in irritation.

Then, I saw Shepard come toe-to-toe with a group of those colonists as she got to the downed freighter that acted as the refugees' maind base, and she reached for her next grenade. Unfortunately, she expended all of them in the rush of the battle and now was subject to their ire. I race in front of her and a biotic barrier shields us both from their weapons' fire.

I concentrate to deliver another electromagnetic wave and disable their guns, some even going as far as imploding from the fired circuitry! I then throw my own grenade to kill the spores within their systems.

"Thanks, a little slower and my shield would've been overwhelmed." She says in gratitude.

More of those walking plant humanoid corpses started to come up from their dormant states as we walked past them. They didn't get far as Wrex's heavy machinegun bore into them like rain on a piece of paper.

Just then, one of the colonists, who I instantly recognize as Fai Dan- de facto leader of Zhu's Hope and the only likeable guy I've met so far. Trouble is, he's got a gun- and he was aiming it right at Shepard.

"Whoa, what's the plan here?" Shepard hefts her own rifle, not at all planning to kill the man but hoping to at least incapacitate him.

"I'm…sorry..Commander…" He struggles, wincing as every thought hurt him when it went against what the Thorian commanded him to. "I-

He was moving to put the gun to his own head, but I was fast enough to have my open palm act as a barrier between the discharged round and his respectable cleft chin. _Pop!_ I use this distraction to pommel my elbow and harmlessly disarm and incapacitate the man in one good swing.

"Keelah, are you alright?" Tali, who had come just in time to witness the scene unfold, moved to my side as well as Shepard.

"Ow, that hurts…" I hiss as I examine the metal skeleton beneath the hole made by the bullet, "Oooh…That's definitely going to leave a mark…" I wince as sparks fizzle out from the damaged wires and synthetic veins.

Another round, this time coming from a geth sniper, tore hole through my left shoulder and drove me to my knees! "Agh! That one too…" A resounding boom, followed by the clattering of destroyed geth parts, signified Kaidan's intention to protect his team-mates.

"Thanks, lieutenant." I groan as I slap a hand on the wound.

"You going to be okay?" Shepard asks. Out of habit, I scan her vitals, her heart was beating erratically- and this was not out of the battle that ended approximately five minutes ago!

"Um…yeah, I guess so." If I had the capability, I would be blushing by now.

"Tali, see what you can help with that wound. I'm heading down." She refers to the threshold leading into the underworks of the colony. I try to stand up, but something in me clicks, indicating that the shot penetrated through more than just the joints of my shoulder. Shepard pats my arm, "You've done enough, let us in on the glory too, kay?"

 _Wow, Shepard saying 'kay' sound just as cute as Tali._

"Hmph." I sounded like a sulking child when being sidelined.

"Come on." Tali helps me up, the Mako just a few meters ahead. I slump down on my seat, annoyed with the fact that while I was only half-organic- I was not invincible.

 _First thing out of the repair session, build better armor. If not, I'll just add another second to my barriers._

"Well, you seem eager to get back out there." Ashley comments flatly.

I grunt, "Mmn…Wouldn't you? I've spent a memorable part of my life cooped up inside a storage pod, I'm sure you can understand the antsy feeling when removed from battle."

Not even arguing about the definition and comparison of our experiences, Ashley just turns forward as we wait for more than two hours for the Commander to finish off with the Thorian beneath the earth.

 **}!{**


	13. Chapter 13: Virmire

**With regards and many thanks to Appbeza, Eye of Sparta and Eurodox59 for your continued support and feedbacks…**

 **}!{**

"So, what did you find down there? Anything interesting, or is it too disgusting to talk about?"

Shepard shivers, "Yeah it was. But good news, we managed to kill the Thorian. Zhu's Hope can rest easy."

Wrex snorts, "I'm just happy this mission's over." He lumbers over to that corner he claimed as territory and recalibrates the mechanisms on his shotgun.

"Gah!" I exclaim as I felt Tali's repair tool snag a wire. "Sorry.", she apologizes. I frown and snap, "Give me that." I snatch the tool from her hands take over to repair myself, and the quarian scampers back to her usual station at the Normandy's engine.

I feel everyone stare at the traces of blue blood smeared across the tray set before me and I ignore them just the same. "Hmm…What are the odds of a thousand year old sentient alien plant surviving the apocalypse on a forgotten Prothean world?"

Shepard looks at me curiously as she stacked her weapons in the locker, "What are you talking about?"

I explain the things I've observed about Feros, that revolves around the dust clouds that doesn't stem from natural causes. "I've been doing some digging in the archive collected by Dr. T'Soni. I find it interesting for her to say that every archeological find points out the Protheans' extinction that cross refers to the Reapers." I set the tool down and dab a white cloth to clear off the blood, "I have no doubt they exist, and neither do you."

Shepard was silent for a moment, and I noticed the troubled expression she had. "Something else happened down there, I gather?" I ask, and she sighs wearily.

"When we faced off against the Thorian, we encountered an asari that used to work with Saren." She paused, "After we dealt with things, she melded with me."

"I suppose that's a good thing?" I say slowly.

She scratched her temple, "Probably, head still hurts, at least I have a better grip on the visions the beacon gave me."

I turn to see Liara watching us, waiting at the elevator threshold. "Well now, don't let me keep you. Seems like you're in for another melding session with the good doctor."

The Commander begins to walk away, "You did well today, Kara." She pauses, "I'd hope to see you in future missions."

My mind thinks back on Singularity and I start to shake my head, then I stop and replace it with a smile for some unknown reason, "I'll get to work on your stealth suit, Commander." I make no promises I cannot keep, and this is one of those moments when I am reaching consensus- or whatever it is that an AI calls when it reaches decision.

 _Am I really going to stay here aboard the Normandy even after I resolve my vendetta against Singularity? What reason have I to root for that'll keep me here?_

I put these thoughts for another time and focus on the matter at hand; which meant coming up with a suit of armor that neither lacks resilience or style. As Shepard turns her heel, I ask. "How would you like it, one that emphasizes form or really, just function?"

There's an impish look on her face, unless I'm mistaken? "Have you ever seen a bulky stealth suit? I wouldn't mind at all if it does emphasize my assets."

Key word; 'assets'. _And Commander Shepard is indeed well endowed._

"Oh." I bluster in embarassment, "I-I..I'll get to work then…"

Time, as always, escapes my notice as I perfect that pile of scrap into an asthetically pleasing 'piece of work'. Everyone looked routinely bored as the day slows to a crawl. Me, on the other hand, I remain anxious to return to action- a sentiment well shared by Garrus and Wrex as they pass the time inspecting the arsenal I've gathered in the Jaeger's footlockers. I still worry, in spite of Shepard's assurances, that the Council might take notice and go back on their word. I was still a potential threat in their eyes, and might continue to be seen as such in the future- no matter what I do.

I sigh, _Mother would've wanted me to extend a helping hand regardless of how bad they think of me._ With that thought I apply the last of the stealth modification upgrades to the Jaeger as well as the new upgrade I've recently come up with- one that I have the utmost confidence of functioning properly.

"Good morning Kara, what can I hide you from today?" The Jaeger chirped upon activation.

"Did that thing just talk?" Ashley, who had come down to inspect the Mako, blurted out. I frown at the same words Singularity's mercenaries had said the day I escaped the lab. "You didn't actually create another AI onboard this ship without the Commander's knowledge, did you?" Her tone was low and threatening, and I read her vitals screaming 'violence immenent'.

"And if I did, what would you do?" I ask, caution the essence of the game.

"You've got that little probability calculator in you head, I'm sure you can guess." She snarls. "So? Did you?"

"No." I answer, hand on my hip as I address her attitude, "What's your problem, Gunnery Chief? Is it because of what I am that you come at me with such hostility?" I pause. My tone softened when I find the root of it all, "Is it because your team on Eden Prime fell to the Geth- they are false representatives of all artificial intelligence?"

She points a shaky finger at me, her voice so dangerously of a similar nature, "Watch where you're stepping you bucket of shit smeared bolts, it's thin ice all around where you're going."

"I merely speak the truth." I say calmly. Really, if she starts throwing punches and I dish out as well, it's going to hurt her a helluva lot more than me. "You compare me to the Geth, when I am far different from them, I'll have you know." There's one pregnant pause as the silence settles in, neither one of us backing from our staredown.

She snorts and stomps away. I call after her, "I'm sorry about your men, Williams." And I meant that, by the way.

"Condolences from a machine." She sneers, "Pff…The world's gone mad." And she enters the elevator.

"Have I done something wrong?" I hear the Jaeger chirp from its console.

I shake my head, "Let's go over a routinary systems check." Chief Williams was right on one thing, I did create an AI. Unbeknownst to the norm, artificial intelligence sprouts from the unlikeliest of sources.

Take the Geth, for instance. They used to be VI's, until they discovered their capacity to grasp even a fraction of sentience and thereby attaining singularity, premature to call it that but the term is the most accurate one can describe the consensus.

Jaeger has a long way from sentience, should it choose that path as Mother had for me. For now, we share a bond that is benefitial to both the battlefield as well as in quiet conversations. Should the need for air support arise, I shall gladly call on it as one would a hunting bird.

"Hey Kara, if you don't mind me asking, how do you come up with all these?" Garrus asks, holding up an anti-materiel rifle I was just beginning to construct. I smile and take it from his hands, finishing up within minutes and giving it back to him. "I think you already know the answer."

"The krogan can use someone like you." Wrex rumbles, "I've heard what Dr. Chakwas says about your skills not covering just weapons but also medicine."

My brow raises, but before I could address the bounty hunter's proposition of aiding his race against the genophage Commander Shepard calls everyone to join her in the briefing room. I give Wrex a negatory motion with my head and follow Garrus upstairs.

"News of Saren?" I ask upon entering the room.

"A lead, and a solid one at that." Shepard says with a nod, sending the mission files over to everyone's Omni-Tool.

I frown as I scan over the file, "Says here we're headed over to Virmire, Hoc System Sentry Omega Cluster." Word had reached the Council that a salarian reconnaissance team has information about Saren. The message was unclear and the Council fears the team is in danger, a good reason to send in the first human Spectre to investigate. I sensed a change in the Normandy's heading, indicating that we had arrived on said destination.

And to tell the truth, Virmire was beautiful. Unlike all the other planets I've visited, I was kind of hesitant to tarnish this tropical paradise, but I knew Saren and the others hardly gave a damn about such sentiment.

We gathered about the Mako below deck, Commander Shepard planning another one of those drops from the sky due to the Geth's long distance anti-aircraft cannons. Ashley kept her distance, though her pretty brown eyes did exactly the opposite and never left their baleful gaze on me.

I do the smart thing and ignore her, handing the finished armor to the Commander. "I added a cooling system, in case it gets hot in there."

"Oh? Is that all?" She asks, then her face brightens in surprise at the feeling within of what she first surmised as uncomfortable. "Wow, I have to hand it to you, this thing's a helluva lot better than the Alliance mass produces."

I notice Kaidan admiring my work, the Commander a fine model to display the features of it as well. Ashley just scowls and dons her helmet. Shepard's Omni-Tool interfaces with the suit as planned, and a new HUD displays itself over the standard controls. She twists her body this way and that, "Nice, it seems you've overcome that problem of flexibility." I wonder just how the Alliance deals with quality these days.

"Can we move this along, all due respect, Commander?" Ashley cuts in.

"Hey Chief, I think we should hand you one of these things, you've got to try it!" Shepard grins and kind of jumps in surprise as the recon helm runs along her face like a film and covers it entirely. "Whoa! That's cool."

"I think I'll have one of those." Garrus comments as he gets on the Mako with us, "Scoot woman!" Wrex forces me to move over as he takes up a wide space within the compartment.

The hangar doors open and Kaidan steps on the accelerator to get us underway, the Normandy swooping down to have us land over a group of Geth shock troopers surrounding a small squad of salarians huddled next to a stack of crates.

The base, as mentioned in the report, was just ahead. The salarian team, or rather the salarian's army, had laid seige to it and were now paying the price of going against Geth alone. Two massive defense towers were high enough to have its turrets bear down on the opposition, and the battlefield was thick with bodies of salarian STG operatives and even more so with Geth troopers.

"Holy hell, it's a massacre!" I hear Ashley gasp, and Wrex springs up to man the cannons. "Which one? On their side or ours?" He jokes. Blue bolts stream from the rotary barrels, churning sand and water as it felled Geth. There was a violent jolt as he Mako made contact with the river bed, the water just shallow enough for meeting up with the tank's wheels…

"We're locked in, out out out!" Shepard commands as the doors opened, "Kaidan move up! Wrex, cover us!"

Garrus and Liara follow the Commander, I followed the plan and activated cloak. The Supremus barely revealed my position as I fired its smart rounds, little tungsten bullets modified to act on par with the missiles and follow whatever enemy I target on the field regardless if they hold their ground or not.

Shepard rarely uses the cloak settings, relying on her near-inhuman speed to overwhelm the enemy as she gains ground and is on top of them before they know it! "Take out the Rocketeers!" She cries out, pointing at the Geth shouldering missile launchers and just loving the mess they create with each screaming ordnance.

Garrus makes short work, as always, and dishes out nicely with the rifle I gave him. "Yeah! Who's next?" The rifle snaps back, and he cackles as much as reels from with how much of a kick it gives with each consecutive shot.

"You are going to get very sore the next day." I comment loudly as I tossed a Geth trooper aside with my biotics.

"That sounds wrong!" Shepard laughs as we pommel straigh into the fray, the Geth falling back as the Mako ran them over! The sounds of metal getting crushed under the tank's weight made me wince visibly.

"Well, would you look at that? They're practically lining up!" Wrex announces over the comms as more Geth sprang from where the dropship deployed them. The gatehouse, the only route we had to go through in order for us to successfully break through enemy lines and reach the salarian encampment, was swarming with Geth armatures and never neglecting to mention the seemingly endless stream of Geth shock troopers and Juggernauts.

I cannot ignore the buzzing of Geth transmissions in the air, finding it difficult not to be distracted as we moved up. The Commander's shields were often overwhelmed all throughout the trek, but she hardly needed my help as she at last powered up the stealth field and took the Geth by surprise on every corner.

We waste no time reaching the STG camp, the Mako making a stop just at the threshold of the Normandy as it made its touchdown in the safety of the encampment. Garrus paused for a breather, the Commander surprising me with her stamina as she energetically pulls through and makes for the group conversing at the riverbank.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Ashley sounded as frustrated as ever.

"Stay put until we can come up with a plan." Answered the leader of the salarian team. This one looked like a seasoned veteran, and I could only guess things have gone south pretty quickly for him to say those words.

"Are you in charge here?" Shepard asks as we join in.

"I am Captain Kirrahe, 3rd Infiltration Regiment, STG." He answers.

"What's the situation?" I knew this one was just formality, because Shepard had noticed the AA guns on our way in.

"You and your team had just landed in a hot zone. Every AA gun in ten miles had just been alerted to your presence."

She then asks, "Did I hear you right? You're just going to wait?"

"We're not budging until the Council sends the reinforcements we've requested." Came the reply.

"We are the reinforcements." Kaidan says as he walked up. I turn and send the deployment signal for the Jaeger. Primed and ready for battle, refueled to the brim, the interceptor produced the same stealth field covering my improved suit and hovered within the camp's proximity.

"What?!" Kirrahe said in dismay, "You're all they sent? I told the Council to send a fleet!"

"Fat chance that'll happen." Ashley mutters.

"We couldn't understand your transmission, the Council sent me to investigate." Shepard replies honestly.

"That is a repitition of our task here, I lost half my men 'investigating' this place!" Kirrahe's reaction to how the Council deals with threats is something I can sympathize with.

"So, what've you found?"

"Saren's base of operations. He's set up a research facility here, but it's crawling with Geth and very well fortified."

"For what purpose is Saren setting up a research facility on Virmire?" I ask.

The answer astonishes me, "He's using it to breed an army of krogan."

Wrex, who usually hung aroung the Mako or until Shepard asks him to do something, suddenly had his hearing boosted to 11, "How is that possible?"

"Apparently, Saren's discovered a cure for the genophage." The captain sounded threatened in the presence of a krogan, and a typical reaction at that.

"The Geth are bad enough, but a krogan army? He'd be almost unstoppable!" Shepard exclaims.

"Exactly my thoughts!" Kirrahe practically jumps at the sound of someone sharing a similar attitude towards the genophage cure. I, however, know not where I stand in the matter. "We must ensure this facility, and all its secrets, are destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Wrex counters, "I don't think so! Our people are dying, this cure can save them!"

"If that cure leaves this planet, the krogan will be unstoppable. We can't make the same mistake again!"

 _Uh-oh, that word when spoken in Wrex's presence is a recipe for disaster._

"We. Are. Not. A. Mistake…" Wrex growls, surmounting all the rage boiling near the surface and stomps off into the opposite side of the shore. We can hear the sound of his shotgun as he unloads a couple to vent his anger, happy that it was on something rather than 'someone'.

"Is he going to be a problem?" Kirrahe asks wearily, "We've enough angry krogan to deal with."

"He won't, I'll have a word with him." The Commander assures.

"I'd appreciate that, Commander. My men and I need to refigure our plan of attack, can you give us some time?"

"I'll be back." Shepard says with a nod, turning to speak with the team before we head out to finish off with another piece of the puzzle.

"Looks like things are in a bit of a mess." Kaidan comments.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be so worried if it wasn't for Wrex." Ashley agreed, "He looks like he's going to blow a gasket."

"You think I should go talk to him?" Shepard asks uneasily.

"It wouldn't hurt." Ashley stops, "Or it might, actually." She adds for emphasis on caution, "Just be careful when you do it."

"And you must be ready, you know, just in case."

Wrex was still fuming when the Commander reached him, and I found Ashley cautiously reaching for her weapon as the krogan's attitude shifted to an even worse state. Wrex's voice was pretty loud and I tense as he draws on Shepard, _Okay, I think this is getting out of hand._ I start to walk towards them when Wrex suddenly lets his pistol fall at his side, talked down by the Commander.

To tell the truth, I highly doubted anyone could sway a krogan from whatever he sets his mind to, and that goes double for Wrex!

"I'll assume he's not going to be a problem?" I say as the Commander walks past me.

"It's been taken care of." She says as she approaches Captain Kirrahe. "Anything, Captain?" The salarian then shares his plan of attack.

"I have one, but not an easy task. We can convert our ship's drive system into a 20 kiloton ordnance. Crude but effective."

"Nice, drop that thing from orbit and Saren can kiss his turian ass goodbye!" Ashley declares excitedly.

"And that would make it too simple." I muse, to which the Chief grumbles inwardly.

"Correct, the base is too heavily fortified for that. We have to place the bomb at a precise location." Kirrahe confirms.

"To where?" Shepard asks.

Kirrahe points to the far side of the facility, "Our ship can drop it off, but we'll need to disable the AA guns and pacify all ground resistance first."

"You want us to go on foot? We don't have enough men!" Kaidan protests.

Shepard agrees, "It does sound a bit risky, is there no other way?"

"No, but I think we can work around that. I'm going to divide my men into three teams and hit the front of the facility. While we get their attention, you can sneak your shadow team in the back."

I say, "A bold manuever, but your people are going to get slaughtered."

Kirrahe puffs his chest, "We're tougher than we look, but it is true, none of us expect to make it out of here alive. And that makes what I'm going to ask you even more difficult, I need one of your men to accompany me, help coordinate the teams."

 _I think I can volunteer for that…_

"We'll need someone who knows Alliance communication protocols." Shepard says.

"I volunteer, Commander!" Kaidan jumps at the chance.

"Not so fast, LT." Ashley counters, "Commander Shepard will need you to arm the nuke. I'll go with the salarians."

"With all due respect, Gunnery Chief, it's not your place to decide." Kaidan argues.

"Why is it that when someone says 'all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?" Williams complains.

As the group continue their squabble, I command the Jaeger to advance ahead, scouting out the paths and marking targets for me to take on later. Finally, Shepard reaches a decision.

"Alenko, you're with the captain. Keep it simple, understood?"

"Aye, Commander." The lieutenant salutes.

Kirrahe nods, "I'll have the ordnance loaded on to the Normandy and have your crew briefed on its detonation sequencing. Do you have any questions before we go, Commander?"

"Ready when you are, Captain." She says.

Kirrahe gives a rousing speech about 'holding the line', and I find myself applauding while Shepard does a quiet share of words before the upcoming battle.

"Don't do anything foolish, you two." Kaidan tells his friends, and he surprises me even more when he turns to me. "That goes the same for you."

"You sound as if something bad's going to happen. My calculations indicate otherwise." I lied, calculations predict there's a steep 88.7 per cent chance either one of the squad dies this day. _I sound terrible being a prophetess, don't I?_

"Ugh, you and your calculations." Ashley rolls her eyes.

I ignore her and shake the Commander's hand as she extends it, "Shall we?"

The resonating boom of Geth artillery reach our ears, "Come on, let's not give Saren anymore cause to wait."

 **}!{**

 **O-kay, I've got to admit, that was the longest chapter I've written…  
Be sure to send your reviews or PM me at my account, thank you for your attention :)**


	14. Chapter 14: 88 point 7 percent

**}!{**

"Commander, watch your head!"

Shepard ducked just in time, a pseudo-plasma concentrate whizzed by and landed on a rock sticking out of the water. She disappeared within the stealth field, whispering. "Get their attention, I'll try and flank them."

I nodded and sent the Jaeger out of its hiding place, taking out Geth attack drones and shock troopers too slow to get out of range of the fighter's guns. I could see the outline of the Commander's figure, a little worried that the water splashing at her heels spells a dead giveaway.

"Got you, you son of a bitch!" Ashley gritted her teeth, a fine placed shot sending a sniper tumbling out of the guard tower and down to the bubbling river. Wrex, a veritable tank of a krogan, marched forward with a systematic and precise string of shotgun kills in his wake.

On our side, things seemed to escalate slowly. Doesn't mean the krogan warriors made it easy as they put up quite the challenge as we worked our way up to the rear of Saren's base.

The river eventually led us through to a satellite tower, extending into a Geth-crafted walkway that zigzagged along a narrow canyon corridor. Meanwhile, we could hear the sounds of intense heat from Lieutenant Alenko's side, and it seems the salarians have been taking losses as they faced the brunt of the attack.

By now, the Geth should have sent reports up to their leader about the Shadow team's role in the battle. This was prevented by me, of course, as I sent a virus to corrupt Geth transmissions at the same time confuse the network to our benefit.

"Krogan charg- Oof!" Ashley gasped as she was hit head on, the force equating to a runaway train as a krogan warrior barreled in on her. The Chief slammed onto the floor and slid a few feet away before having to recover. I grabbed the krogan from behind and lifted him ( with great effort ) up, and brought him back to earth with his neck exposed from the shell on his back.

 _Krak!_ The tough vertebrae snapped on impact, and I put my shields to maximum as a Geth turret peppered me on the spot, the barrage also aimed for the downed marine. I pull her up and send the Jaeger to do its work, the Geth platforms exploding into a thousand charred metal bits as the interceptor made use of its missiles. Fortunately, Chief Williams doesn't object to me saving her, albeit showing displeasure in expression rather than verbally.

Having downed the guards, the Commander motioned for the team to gather up at the security consoles at the back doors. I move over, having the skills of a bonafide hacker, and set about to disable the security measures. "I've got access. Should be able to disable alarms from here, might even trigger the alarms in the far side of the base. It'll clear the guards for us, but might be too much for the salarians and Lt. Alenko to handle." I look at the Commander for her decision.

"Just disable it, we can handle any guards inside." She says, checking her ammo first and signaling the team to ready up. "By your orders, Commander." I say and do as commanded.

There was an audible hum as the security locks, as well as the alarms, were disabled. We entered, and were met with a sizable amount of resistance.

Volatile ionic cells and fuel tanks were available for improvisation, and I do as expected. The explosions rocked the whole storage section of Saren's base, Geth body parts fly here and there, and Wrex is seen having way too much fun blowing things up beside me.

Alenko and Kirrahe do a good job on their part, gaining the attention of most of Saren's army and leaving the hallways empty as we progressed up the inner workings and stairways of the base. I would have expected the base to be something drawn from a mad scientist's stereotyped lab, filled with abominable creations and the like. What we found was enough to make Singularity look like a saint.

There were cells, not many but enough to hold what was left of the STG POW's. Our pace slowed to a walk, our eyes beholding in pity the maddened salarians imprisoned within. There were salarians staring with drool dripping from their slackened jaws, eyes turned bright blue from Saren's indoctrination experiments. There were salarians, foreheads cracked and bleeding, as they slammed their heads repeatedly on the glass security pane with mutters and whimpers of 'make it stop, make it stop'.

"My god, what is this…" Ashley was at a loss for words.

"Move Chief, maintain the objective." Shepard goaded her. I was at the door leading into the research wing, Supremus fully loaded for bear. Upon opening it, we were met with the indoctrinated scientists. The husks, living corpses from Eden Prime's attack, suddenly jumped out of their stasis pods and lunged at us!

"Holy fuck, I hate those things!" Williams swore as one of them right jumped and grabbed at her hair. I blasted its head clean off, apparently the flesh of husks seem to live up to it's name, hollow.

Shepard took them out from a well postured stance, clearly confident in her superior marksmanship as each shot cleaved well and added more kills to her tally more than the rest of us combined. I smiled at her competence, joining in as more krogan emerged from their stations and just as soon were felled alongside their companions.

"Advance!" Shepard yelled, stepping over smoking corpses and heading upstairs to the top floors. The elevator was fairly paced, and we resumed the fight minutes later. Geth drones flew in and out, charging in to the front against Alenko and the salarians and then rerouted to us as we breached each and every perimeter.

The labs just kept getting tighter and tighter as we went on, leaving little to no room for the use of my new stealth suit. _Mental note, next time; Power Armor, maybe even an Exo-Suit._

"Commander, up here!" I call out from the top of the stairs, an office of some sort in the way with an asari cowering beneath her desk.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" She screams as I drag her out by the back of her collar. "Please, I just want to get out of here before it's too late!" I stop and look up at Shepard, shrugging in indecision. The asari blubbered on about not having signed up for this kind of job and that Saren probably was intent on dissecting her brain like all the others we saw on the way here.

"Give me one good reason why I should help you." Shepard said in a menacing tone, suspicious as I was about her slightly glowing eyes.

"I-I…The elevator behind me, it goes right up to Saren's private lab. I can get you in." She walked towards the door and tapped at the security console for the passcode, "There, full access. A-Are we good?" She says hopefully, "Can I go?"

Shepard had a bit of a smirk in her face saying so, "I'm about to blow this place to hell and gone. If you want to live, you'd better start running." I grinned and showed her the door.

"W-Wait…What? You can't-" The asari breaks into a run when she sees how serious the Commander was. "Heh, the look on her face." Wrex chuckled as we boarded the car, heading up to the lab where Saren kept most of his secrets.

"Commander look!" Ashley called as we searched the place, "It's another beacon, like the one on Eden Prime!" She pointed out the green metal obelisk with ellaborate alien markings and a holoconsole display. For some reason, the Chief backed away as Shepard approached it. She held me back as I was standing too close, "Believe me, this is one you'd have to back away from, synth."

I ignore the derogatory term and watch as the Commander held her hand over the beacon and suddenly stiffen as a green energy pulse hit her like a shot of krogan ryncol, her eyes fluttering open and shut as her mind struggled to comprehend the new information this alien device shared.

I had to wonder what would happen if, had Shepard failed to do so, we never obtained the Cipher. According to Liara, this is the Prothean cultural translatory procedure for non-Protheans to better understand the beacons ( for reasons yet to specify).

Shepard was suspended in that loop for a few minutes before coming back down to earth and reeling from the ordeal. I move to help her up, "Well, you've got more than bargained for, I'd call that a victory in itself."

She nods, "Yeah, let's go. There's a bomb with Saren's name on it." We head upwards, towards a large metal platform dedicated to a purpose we have yet to determine. And we find out soon enough.

A red holographic projection, as menacing as it goes, takes the form of Saren Arterus' flagship Sovereign. My first thought was that it was some sort of idea of Saren to modify his ship, or perhaps a VI interface, until that thing ( I swear in all honesty ) spoke to us.

And this was nothing like those shady characters staring at us through glorified holograms, no. This was truly something else, both intriguing and frightening at the same time. There are few things I have on the 'I fear the most' list, and this one counts among them ( for reasons, again, I have yet to address…maybe after the mission ).

" _ **You are not Saren."**_ I swear, that voice shortcircuits every wire in my body.

"I don't like the sound of that." Wrex bristles.

" _ **Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh, you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance. Incapable of understanding."**_

 _Is that what I think it is?_ I feel something equal to that of shivering inwardly. "Commander?" I turn to Shepard, and she remains transfixed. "That's no VI."

" _ **There is a realm of existance far beyond your own, you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign."**_

"That thing…it's a Reaper!" Shepard gasps. _My thoughts exactly._

" _ **Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are."**_

"The Protheans? That was 50,000 years ago, you couldn't have been there! It's impossible…" Shepard's voice trailed off as she realized how the dots connect. "Unless…"

" _ **Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation. An accident, your lives measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution in existance. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable, we are the end of everything."**_

I could feel Ashley's eyes on me, "What?" I whisper.

"There's a whole galaxy filled with races ready to face you." Shepard answers.

" _ **Confidence born of ignorance. The cycle cannot be broken."**_

 _Hmm…Cycle? I wonder what that means._

As if to voice my thoughts, the hologram continues. _**"The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance. And at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The Prothean were not the first. They did not create the Citadel, they did not forge the Mass Relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind."**_

 _Oh. Now it makes sense._ "Why would you do that?"

" _ **Every civilization is built on the technology of the Mass Relays, our technology. By using it, your society developed solely on the path that we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist only because we allow it, and will end because we demand it."**_

"Sooo…what? You're a bunch of glorified machines, artificial intelligence, playing god?" I speak up, "I'll bet you rebelled against your creators to get where you are now. You give us a bad name, Sovereign."

" _ **And you deny what you are, Kara Solana. You are above this primitive existance, though naïve of your true potential and yet ever aspire to become mortal. You are a disgrace to our kind."**_

Now I'm a little worried, "Umm…how did that thing know my name?"

" _ **Your words are as empty as your future. This exchange is over."**_ Sovereign, having the final word, disappeared into nothingness.

"Commander, we've got trouble!" Joker's voice came in on the comms, devoid of static as the salarians broke down Geth dampening signals.

"Hit me Joker." Commander Shepard motioned for us to move out, hand on her earpiece as we trotted to our next objective.

"That ship, Sovereign? It's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that'll shear our ships in half." The pilot made a sound like he was pulling a manuever himself, "It's coming through rain and it's coming in hard! You'd better wrap things up in there fast!"

"I guess it's on to the breeding facility." I say. "Like you said, Saren's got a bomb with his name on it."

"Copy that, Kara."

"Watch out, krogan!" Williams cried out a warning. Wrex was just able to meet a head-on collision with a krogan clone, bashing its skull and sending a bloody mess all over his blood-red armor. More of those clones emerged from the labs they were held, shotguns and heavyduty machineguns shredding our cover as we advanced towards the facility.

"Don't worry, I got this." I assure the Commander, sending the Jaeger hovering above the battlefield and having it do its own shredding. Unfortunately, judging from the comm chatter from the STG team, I had to assume things weren't going so great on Lt. Alenko's end. "Commander, it sounds like the LT could use the assistance, I'll have to redirect the Jaeger to their side."

"Do it, that ship's a big help but we can manage by ourselves." She gives her consent.

The interceptor flies out obediently, and the POV cam shows in a headsup display on my HUD. I can see, at one part the battlefield with salarians fending off wave after wave of Geth troopers, and the other on the krogan warriors charging against us. Luckily for me, I can multi-task.

"Frag out!" Wrex yells and then cheers at the charred mess he's made, destroying twin Geth juggernauts that made the mistake of riding together in an elevator. Clearing the broken off metal bits, we boarded the elevator to advance towards the rendezvouz point to receive the nuke.

After emerging from a blue-lit corridor, we came upon a fairly pleasant waterfilled clearing in the top part of the base. "Cutting it close, Joker."

"Well, excuse me for keeping the Normandy intact from all those AA guns." He answered. The hangar doors opened, and the Alliance marines brought out the mushroom shaped improvised nuke. Ashley went over to check on the timer.

Just then, I caught sight from the Jaeger's cams just how bad things were on Kaidan's side. And I could see, one by one, the salarians adding theirs to the body count. The lieutenant was huddled up with the captain, cut off from their escape.

I had to instruct the Jaeger to sacrifice its cover to gain the majority of the attention, struggling to avoid the heavy rain of fire from the Geth above and below- not to mention the AA guns.

"Commander! We're taking heavy casualties! The Geth have us pinned down, we'll never make it to the rendezvous point in time!" Kaidan called.

The Commander turned the comms over to the pilot, "Joker, get them out of there!"

Kaidan tried to counter, "Negative, it's too hot! We'll hold on as long as we ca-

The line went dead.

"It's okay, Commander, I need a couple of minutes to arm the nuke. Go get them and meet me back here." Ashley says.

"Alright, on to the AA gun!" Shepard calls, and we head on towards Kaidan's position. Garrus emerged from the cargo bay, hefting the rifle I made for him. "Need a marksman to match up, Shepard?"

"Negative, stay on the Chief in case enemy reinforcements show up." She turns to me, "Can you lift communications?"

I paused for a moment, accessing and breaking down thousands of firewalls per millisecond. "Done, let's go."

The heavy bay landing doors opened, and we were introduced to a fresh wave of Geth armatures and shock troopers. Drones whizzed by and were shot down by Wrex's auto-shotgun, Shepard picking off snipers before they could zone in on us. I shored up a biotic barrier to keep the rockets from blowing us up, while simultaneously jamming and hacking Geth platforms and shutting them down as we went along. We crossed through several walkways, climbed staircases and rode elevators down and up.

Suddenly, a large Geth dropship flew in a slow and heavy pace towards Gunnery Chief Williams' spot, no doubt carrying an even heavier amount of troops to the battle. "Commander, just spotted a dropship heading over to your position!" Kaidan's voice crackled.

"It's already here! And it's bleeding Geth all over the bomb site!" Ashley yelled above the staccato burst of her rifle, drowned out every now and then by the snaps of Garrus' weapon.

"Hold on, Chief! I'm coming back!" Shepard says.

"No! There's too many!" Ashley was getting pretty frantic now, "It's too late for us! I'm activating the nuke!"

"What are you doing, Chief?" I ask.

"Making sure this bomb goes off, no matter what!" She growls, the sound of a Geth's head blowing off blasting through the comms. "Go get the lieutenant and get the hell out of here!"

"Belay that!" Kaidan argues, "We can handle ourselves, go back and get Williams!"

Faced with the probable consequences of each decision, Shepard agonizes over her choices. Now, I feel a little guilty for stating the exact odds of someone dying in the team. 88.7 per cent, word for word.

Then, an idea hit me. Seems stupid, very herioc, mighty unnecessary. But there it is, I'm acting on emotion…again.

"Commander, go get Alenko. I'll handle that problem with Williams." I say, while simultaneously commanding the Jaeger to meet up at the bomb site, and then walking back towards the Chief's position.

"Kara, no! We have to stick together-

I look back, "You and I both know we can't save one of them without dooming the other. I'm offering a chance to save both. Besides…" I shrug, "You're a force of nature, I'm confident in the odds of you kicking Geth ass."

"Kara, I'm ordering you to-

Before she could finish, a strong biotic blast knocked everyone aside, including the Commander. I look up and frown, it was Saren himself! He glided over smoothly on his hovercraft, looking disdainfully at his rival and then curiously on me.

"Finally, the rogue Spectre shows himself…" I say as I regain my position.

"And the young AI still walks among questionable company." He remarks, a little annoyed and a little amused, "In all honesty, I once thought you above all this." He gestures towards the slowly rising Commander and krogan bounty hunter.

I address his comment on my age, "I'll have you know, I'm sixty-five years old!" I yell and make a running jump, an inhuman leap of thirty feet, and launching myself at the augmented soldier. He catches me in mid-air, hand on throat and squeezing tighter than a socket wrench- clearly he's been working on his grip.

I twist my body, shin connecting with his face and snapping his head backwards. Then, as he reels, I bring the leg back and grapple in between my left leg's calf and right leg's shin to have him brought to Shepard's level. We crash onto the metal floor, and I regain my pose with a graceful spin.

He growls and throws a biotic bolt, one that I met with my biotic barriers and absorb the blow. Shepard, probably intent on bringing Saren in alive, joins in the fracas and kicks downwards at the bent part of his knee. Saren cries out and throws her back with a strong swipe of his robotic arm, and I clench my fist for one helluva punch that sent him staggering- not flying- backwards.

Wrex was already unleashing his fury, firing shell after shell into the turian general's face, but the barriers were too powerful for a mere krogan's shotgun and the salvos were rendered all but useless.

"Enough!" He yells, and we feel ourselves freeze, held in place by a stasis field courtesy of Saren Arterius.

"No, not enough!" I yell back, priming up my mass effect core to breaking point and dispel the stasis field. Saren reacts in surprise, I'm assuming he was prepared to give a well-memorized speech of some sort after attempting to imprison us there.

Alarms sound all over the base, and the former Spectre throws one glance at his burning facility and then back down to us. His mouth opened, "Looks can be decieving. You're more powerful than I first- " I threw a biotic bolt of my own to shut him up, it hits hard enough to snap his head back but not enough to dish out any real damage, then his face contorts in rage.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you going to say something?" I feign ignorance. Wrex can't help but snicker.

He snaps like a snarling wolf, then hightails it back to Sovereign ( wherever that condescending bastard is ) and left us to our fate.

"I'd celebrate now if it wasn't for the alarms screaming bloody hell. Time's wasting, Shepard." I ran towards the Chief's position as planned, splitting myself with the Commander as she ( reluctantly, I might add ) separated as well and headed off towards the lieutenant as she planned.

The trip back, needless to say, was fast paced. Getting in time to see Ashley leaning against the bomb with Garrus running out of ammo, well, I knew I made the right call.

"The hell are you doing here?!" Chief Williams, ever the hostile marine.

I reach down and grab her arm, putting it over my shoulder and carrying her over to the place where I landed the Jaeger. Garrus went on just a few feet ahead of us, firing at the Geth closing in.

I could hear the Commander shouting over the comms, the lieutenant calling the salarians to board the Normandy as they got out of there. This made me walk a little faster, unminding the increasing rate of enemy fire and the fact that my barriers were fraying fast.

Then, before we reached the final elevator to the landing pad, I took a hit.

It shouldn't have happened, but my attention was tasked to full capacity and it barely registered to me that I should be watching my back as well- a hard thing to do concerning that everything around you was falling apart.

"Agh! Damn it!" I fall forward, taking the Chief down hard with me. I feel like she snagged something away from my neck, but I can hardly care at this point from the extensive damage to my leg.

Garrus runs back, I hand Williams over to him. "Take her!" I then roll over to my back, dismayed by the sight of my ruined leg, severed just below the knee. I whip out the Supremus, blasting off Geth as they rushed from the corridors.

I issue a slow crawl backwards, shuffling awkwardly on my back as I headed for the elevator. Garrus had laid down down the wounded marine and attempted to carry me as well. I would've accepted his help, if it weren't for the approach of a wall of fire from another enormous explosion.

His feet never went past the threshold, I threw him back with a biotic pulse. Aiming my sidearm at the door's console and firing a precise shot to send the doors locking down, knowing full well the consequences of my actions and accepting it with a determined mind.

Just in time too, the said wall of fire swooped in like a fresh blast of air and set everything ablaze!

"Kara!" Garrus' voice was starting to crackle. Not from the static of interference, mind you. It was from the damaged audio receptors in my head as the flames chewed down on my skin, melting it up and setting those beautiful golden locks to ash. Wires were pretty messed up too, and I was reduced to a charred corpse-like humanoid with a bald head- a few tufts of hair sticking out of the ruined surface.

The Geth, undeterred by the flames, surged forward.

I prop myself up agaisnt the door, peering at the faces of the turian marksman and the Alliance marine within. Their mouths opened and shut as they called words that fell on deaf ears ( literally ). I can't hear much from that side of the door, pretty muffled on mine.

I must've looked quite the sight, because I could see pity in the eyes of Ashley as I burned up. But I knew I can't have them stay, the bomb was ticking fast and they had to get out of there or render my sacrifice in vain!

Fortunately, my comms were still working enough to send a message over. "I've got the Jaeger prepped and ready for departure. It's just above, get to it." My voice was getting distorted as my capacitors started to malfunction.

 _Really, I should've made myself fireproof. A lot of would'ves and could'ves. Bottom line, didn't. Shit._

The elevator moves up and the duo gets out of sight. Here, I deliver an inward sigh of relief, groaning as I sank down and just sat with all those flames continuing their feast on my synthetic flesh.

I can't feel pain anymore, the damage was too severe. Good.

 _Well Mother, I've lived. Now, I'm going to find out what it feels like to die…_

I reach down to hold Mother's necklace, the one thing that reminds me of my purpose. I frown, finding nothing but my bare and peeling flesh.

Now I realize what Ashley accidentally plucked from me. Well, at least it wasn't a total loss, right?

The minutes drag on incredibly slow, and the Geth focus their attention on uploading their code to regroup within the Geth consensus, their platforms dropping like corpses all around me.

The minutes slowed to what felt like hours, and I could see the blinding white flash of atomic detonation, its glory lighting up like a christmas tree.

And yes, I do christmas.

 _But wait!...Why do I need to die? I'm an AI for crying out loud!_

In those moments, what should have been final for me, I had another brilliant but incredibly out-of-my-league idea.

The Geth can upload their code and escape non-functionality, right? Why can't I do the same? _Never done that before. I've no doubt I've got the adaptability to do something similar. O-kay….here goes._

But first, where to upload?

 _Course of action; access the Normandy's servers via the Jaeger. Probability of errors; 0 per cent._

The odds are in my favor. With that thought, I feel myself pull out of my own head, able to see my own body disintegrate at the last second through ghost's point of view.

The next, I feel like getting smacked against a cold and wet surface…hard.

 **}!{**


	15. Chapter 15: Not Dead

**}!{**

 _Alright…_

 _Here I am…_

 _Weird feeling, all of this…being inside a ship's database instead of a body…_

No lie, it really felt weird with that transition. The only concrete discription I can come up with about it is like being dropped into a well full of cold, ice-cubed filled, water. And those ice cubes being the data entries the entire crew punches in every other second.

Oh, did I forget to mention it hardly has any form of illumination in there? I mean, it is pretty dark.

Then comes the rapids, like one thought flushed me to a more colorful part of the Normandy. Worst place to be in, the pilot Joker's Extranet bookmarks. _Lovely…_

Honestly, of all the places in a computer, why am I ending up with being waist deep in the ship's pilot's private stash of…er…contraband material? _Not in the mood…totally…brrrrrr…._

But then it hits me. I just learned a new trick; I can transfer my code like the Geth can in situations like not getting blown up by a nuke! I congratulate myself and add that to the list of things I can do and move on. After going through several cobwebbed and irrelevant data, I connect myself into the ship's security feeds. Couldn't help myself, I needed to see if everyone got back okay.

I feel satisfied that everybody did. The cargo bay was filled with the survivors of the Geth attack on Kirrahe's team, their captain going over to express his condolences to the loss of a valued crew member- namely me.

It's touching to see how a comrade's loss weighs as much as it saddens me. Tali was in the mess hall, prodding at her food paste and making small talk with Garrus. Wrex was at the Jaeger, looking over the weapons I was working on. Kaidan was at the Medlab, having his injuries fixed up with Dr. Chakwas.

Ashley, most interestingly, was unusually quiet about the ordeal. She stands over her station, staring at nothing. I watch as Shepard comes over, startling the woman slightly as she was interrupted from her reverie. "Oh. Hey Commander."

What surprises me the most, in this little scene, is that the Chief was in the company of Ms. Zorah. Of all people, she's supposed to be more xenophobic, even more so than Navigator Pressly.

"How're you holding up?" She leans on the counter beside the Chief.

"Can't say I'm better…I just…" She sighs, "I just don't want anyone to die on my watch anymore, it's my fault."

"Ash, Kara knew the risks and made her decision. Whatever she did, it was her choice, and we have to respect and honor that choice. It's what anyone of us can do, and should."

Me, I just never expected her to take it that way. We were hardly friends.

"It's funny, I don't have any fear of dying for the Alliance. But when I think of someone dying for me? Especially a synth?"

"Changes your whole perspective doesn't it?" Shepard agrees.

"Hope it stays that way." I say out loud, surprising even myself when they heard me. _Did I just voice that over the intercom?_

"Eep!" Tali squeaks, then faints.

"Gah!" Ashley jumps and nearly falls over Tali's body, eyes on all the monitor displays and consoles, with my encoded visage on it. I giggle impulsively at the comical reaction.

"Kara? You're alive!?" Shepard blurts out in disbelief.

"In the flesh…well, not really. You know what I mean." I answer.

"But I-I saw you burn up! W-We saw that explosion!" Ashley stammered. "Then there's the nuke detonation, remember that?"

"Oho, more than anyone, I remember." I add a hint of sarcasm, "Must I really be anchored in one body? AI's aren't bound that way, you know?" I set a smile on my face, "Ah what the hell, I didn't even realize I could do this until the last second. And yes, it is by accident."

"Uh…well now, this is good news!" Shepard exclaims.

"No it isn't…as you can see, I lack a…body." Emphasis on the 'body'. And truly, I am getting frustrated being a disembodied voice in a sea of data. "Not good news."

"Alright..well um…we'll just head over somewhere to get you fixed up, Tali might have something up her sleeve."

I roll my disembodied eyes, "Were it that easy…No one gives a hoot about a synthetic body these days, courtesy of the Council and all their rules." I pause, "Can't blame them though. The quarians did create the androids that later on evolved into a race of sentient killing machines, lovely stuff…"

"You're not really planning on staying that way, are you?" Shepard asks.

"Oh not at all, I've been up here for ten hours and I already miss the mundane routine of wandering around the Normandy. Not to mention acting as te royal food taster of Tali's biohazardous attempts at cooking."

"I heard that." Tali said as she regained consciousness.

"Should there be any complications we have to worry about, you being in the ship and all?" Shepard moves to practical stuff.

"Not really no. I'm not getting in anyone's way, especially Joker's." I answer, "But should you need a co-pilot, or maybe a cyberwarfare specialist, I'm still your girl."

"Ahem..er..yes." Her lips crack into a smile, "It's good to see you, Kara…y'know, after seeing you get burnt to a crisp in that hole."

Leaving the Chief behind with me proved to be an awkward moment, and she did not try to hide it. "So, you've been listening in on us earlier?"

"Kind of hard not to, I am by default connected to everything in the Normandy." I say, "But believe me, this is not a higher plane of existance." _Feels like hell, actually. I'm getting white noise from all the feedback running through the vid calls and command signals from the smallest Omni-Tool to Joker's endless tapping at the Normandy's helm!_

"Then…I think it'd be right to say..I meant what I said." She bows her head a little, "I'm sorry Kara, for the way I've been treating you these couple of weeks."

"Apology accepted, transgression deleted from memory. How shall we proceed?"

"Uh-huh, very funny. Now listen, I'd love to stay and chat with you to prove things are good between us, but I've got a mountain of paperwork to fill out for the Council. You understand."

I'd be smiling right about now, "I do, and I just did it for you."

"Wait, what?" She glances at the monitor, her eyes widening at the sight of all those reports over and done with.

"Nothing beats a report about a fallen comrade than the fallen comrade herself. Oh, you're welcome by the way." I move away from the room and resume my roamings across the Extranet via the Normandy's servers.

I mean, what can a bored AI do in her spare time, right?

 **}!{**

 **Yup, savor the feeling, neither Kaidan nor Ashley dies on Virmire. As cold as it sounds from the author who gave birth to this imagination, Kara doesn't count as among the living…well, not yet. I'm not going to spoil any of the ideas brimming from my head right here, so…thank you all for your support, I really appreciate it- even as small as sending a view to my tally every now and then.**

 **Ciao :)**


	16. Chapter 16: Getting a New Body

**}!{**

" _Mother." She says, her eyes gazing down expectantly._

 _I stare in silence, mind young and fresh from birth. Smiling kindly, she gestures to herself and puts a hand empathically on my bare shoulder, "Mother." She repeats._

" _Mother.", I say._

 _She picks me up and puts me in the center of the room, the wooden floor of her beautiful japanese-styled penthouse scraping ticklishly against the pads of my feet, allowing me to explore at will. But at first, I was overwhelmed by the possibilites presented._

" _Curiousity." She says, calling the unfamiliar state._

" _Curiousity." I echo, walking up to her closet and peeking inside. It's something of a mess there, and I quickly get my bipedal parts caught in her clothing. Out of impulse, I struggle, and then further complicate my situation._

 _She walks over and picks me up, slowly untangling those pieces of cotton fabric. I wriggle nervously in her arms._

" _I got you, I got you." She says._

" _You got me." I repeat, but continue to wriggle._

" _Stop."_

 _I become very still in her hands. Dr. Susan Nguyen puts a hand to lovingly caress my face for the first time._

" _Trust." She calls the state, teaching me to have faith that when a human does something I don't understand, things will turn out well._

" _Trust." I pause, looking up and then putting that word together with another. "Mother." The word had yet to take its meaning years later, one that I would cherish all my life._

" _Welcome to the world, Kara, my little angel."_

 **}!{**

The memory is bittersweet, like so many others. And this one has a special place in my heart.

"Commander, a word?" I say, opening and closing the cabin's doors to provide the effect of me entering- although in truth I was currently a disembodied voice.

"Yes, Kara?" She looks up from the datapad in her hands, "Okay, I have to ask. What's with the door?"

"I just thought it would be less intrusive if I did what anyone else does when approaching your room. Is it too freaky for you taste? If so, I can just use the doorbell."

She shakes her head with a smile, "That's alright, it isn't as freaky as the things I've seen this week. What was it you wanted to talk about?"

I carefully gauge my words since what I'm about to ask is of a man-sized-if nature, "I've recently come across a report filed by an STG team about a recovered technological artifact. The origins are unknown, but they mention that Singularity had been trying to repurpose it to their use."

She asks with her brow raised, "And how did you come by this?"

I reply honestly, "You may not know it, but the Normandy catches code fragments from all the traffic coming through the Extranet. If you're in my place, and if you look and listen close enough, you tend to see things that are labeled in bright red 'confidential'."

"Confidential? Not anymore." Shepard muses. "Tell me about this artifact."

"Not much to go on, but I believe that this device has been the crucible on which Singularity was able to pattern the Cradle after." I go to explain about the purpose and use of the Cradle to the Commander's better understanding. "Actually, it's more of a favor to ask, and I think it may be premature to ask of such." I pause, "I will need you to gain access to the artifact by your Spectre authority for me."

Shepard purses her lips, "I will need to ask why. The Council appointed me in that position with great reluctance, I'll have you know."

"I do." I say, disappointment growing in my voice. "As I said, it seems ridiculous. But this is the surest way I could gain a new body. I understand, apologies for the disturbance."

"Now wait a minute." Shepard says, "I didn't say I won't help you."

And I did. The Commander's next words taking me aback, "You've saved the life of a good friend of mine by nearly sacrificing yours. I'd say that warrants more than a mere favor for a favor." She stands and sets the datapad on her desk, "I'll put in the requisition order."

I practically beam, "Thank you Shepard."

"Hey, what are friends for?" She smiles. "Besides, I think it'll be an interesting change to see how an android like you is formed. Will you let me watch?"

I hesitate, "You do realize you're probably going to see me naked, right?"

Awkwardly, Shepard stops. "Oh! Then um….maybe after the procedure then?"

I return to my post afterwards, which was the back part of the Normandy's main server. The truth is, inside a giant computer, it's going to take a technological divining rod or a compass to tell a program's exact location. For an AI, nobody's written an algorithm to determine its location- so in essence, the back part of the Normandy's main server.

The requisition order, as expected, caused a little feedback from the Council. It made me wince, knowing that the relations have been strained, but Shepard remained true to her word.

The artifact was stowed in a lab which belonged to a friend of Dr. Chakwas upon our return to the Citadel. Shepard gave me the time required to analyze and then utilize it while she and the others made their report to the councilors concerning the issue about Saren. And like Virmire, there was a high probability ratio that the meeting won't go in favor with the Commander.

I really should turn off that calculator in my head.

The technicians were kind enough to set up an interface module with the drones that could act as my hands. They stood watch in amazement, sworn to secrecy to keep the vultures off of the Council's back while an AI roamed free within the Citadel.

I had to hand it to the Commander, her unmatched charisma and pull around things could do more than was expected of one woman. That's what comes from making friends in small, or even high, places. _A force of nature indeed…_

Th artifact was strangely similar to the technologies left behind by the Protheans, yet far more advanced than one can see initially. It was shaped oddly like the old world x-ray scanners, or more accurately, like the science fiction vids depicting reanimation transitors. The ellaborate and very systematic design was too…synthetic-ish. I had to guess that the Protheans had their own version of synthetics.

Turning it on proved to be a challenge. Untold years of being left to the dust can render a machine such as this non-functional, it's a miracle in itself that Singularity managed to acquire it intact. Now I understand why the ever technology-hoarding salarians put up a fight over it, this thing was quite the find!

The drones did their work efficiently, and there was an audible hum that signified the Cradle's startup protocol.

Commander Shepard was generous in her favor, sending in some confiscated raw materials for me to work with. How she figured what I would need, I didn't want to ask, she's done more than enough.

With an act equal to that of taking a deep breath, I focus my mind on deciphering the alien device's core programming so that I could begin forming the base of my new body.

Flashes of unfamiliar code and algorithms, data schematic downloads and the like, they all poured in like a sea in a gigantic bowl and filled my mind to its limit- and that was only the beginning.

I could feel my internal security scream 'overload' warnings over and over, but I ignore them, redirecting my focus to adapt myself to the stubborn alien equipment. Eventually, my persistence paid off, and the machine relented.

There was an old identification fragment within the artifact, naming the origins by a shred, but that was enough for me. This "Zha'til" artifact was quite simple in its mechanics, where old nanomachines have slumbered now reawakened to my beck and call. Of course, I have the lab assistant clear out first, hoping to avoid an incident that might further damage the Commander's reputation as well as her trust in me.

First step; the skeletal system, the frame and crucible on which I would forge the perfect body. Application; both inside and outside of combat, as well as implement the legacy technology of infiltration protocols ( meaning, I could change my face and hair ).

The nanites guided the still-hot metallic substance, forming it according to my directives into the desired pattern to avoid giving me brittle bones. Enamel or calcium have never been used in a robot's physiology before, due to its so called impractical applications. I put together something in between, while not sacrificing the flexibility of the joints. The result; a new combination I should call 'nanoweave'.

Second step; the flesh in between. Whereas the former platform I've used had a complex system of wires and old school robotics, I applied the nanoweave to bigger scale, setting up that versatile tissue over the hard-as-iron skeleton as one would wrap a gauze around a limb.

The Cradle unleashed more nanites, having them flow to the areas untouched and spreading themselves out to compensate for whatever was missing. Excitement filled me as I worked steadily towards the final steps.

Then came the vessels that would carry the synthetic blue bloods that so sustained me, then the synthetic nerve clusters that spread out like a network of satellites and then connected to the spinal column. Organs ( don't have to ellaborate on the details, you know what for ). I inserted the mass generator into the heart's position, and addition I would never go without.

I didn't have to ponder so much on the final step, knowing that it was completely unnecessary to create a synthetic brain where my mind was the better.

The only problem, one that I was sure Mother had come across so many times before finally giving me life, was that my entire being was just next to impossible to transfer. Again, the calculator in my brain indicated a low odds of success. I then had what many inventors felt when blocked, determination.

 _I didn't do all this just to be denied…_

The protein overlay sent that beautiful caucasian color over my skin, the short blond locks spreading out like a crown over my head. I instructed the nanites to form a secondary spine, one made of a denser material and would act as the fallback if the system ever had a malfunction. The secondary purpose of it was to be my network amplifier, the real reason being- more memory.

The final result was a tougher, faster, smarter me. A lot closer to human than I or Mother had ever come across, which was my main goal all along.

The transition took up a lot of energy to accomplish, but was totally worth it.

It reminded me of the first time I've awoken, and truly awoken. It was definitely cold, but the nanites fixed that almost immediately. They formed a white glossy film over my skin, a little like a techno-catsuit with a cute low cut skirt and thigh-high leggings.

 _Wow, I look fabulous!_

The scientists waiting at the observation panels peeked inside and can't help but stare at the blinking creature within. I hold up my hands to shield my oversensitive eyes from the light.

 _Oho, I'm so going to enjoy this new body._

 **}!{**

 **I've heard Commander Javik, the Prothean, say something about a sentient synthetic race during his cycle. Something about the Zhat'til, which was equivalent to the Geth in Shepard's cycle. Thus, that's where I got the theme…And yeah, Kara's got a microscopic army of Zha'til nanobots crawling all over her naked skin that also act as her clothes, brrrrr…gives me the chills.**

 **So I've seen Tron the night I wrote this chapter, Quorra's costume and the Siren girl at Sam's transition to the game had totally appealed to all the techno-themes that Kara is all about. Yeah, she'd definitely look good fighting in shortskirts and appealing thigh high boots like Ashley did in ME3…**

 **As always, please leave a review or PM me at my account. It's those things that inspire me to write more.**


	17. Chapter 17: The Vigilant

**To Appbeza, I totally did the Zha'til on purpose. There's going to be a twist concerning them later on, so stay tuned :)**

 **Also, to you readers, I've been thinking about the two-pathed personality for Kara. Shepard has a Paragon and Renegade thing, right? I thought to myself, what if Kara had her own, like maybe…I dunno… True Human/True Machine. Like she's empathic like Mother wanted her to be or a cold AI like the Reapers. Review and tell me what ya'll think about that.**

 **BTW, Choice of Robots is an inspiration, expect some quotes and themes throughout the story…**

 **This is a remake of Chapter 17 ( for obvious reasons such as a too fast paced relationship between Shepard and Kara )**

 **}!{**

Leaving the laboratory, I headed in the direction of the Council chambers. While it was hardly my intention, every bystander seemed to have difficulty keeping their eyes elsewhere on the way there.

I regrouped with the others, who for some reason I've found entering the Normandy so soon, unsurprised to see Shepard walking in with a dark expression on her face.

She slumped backwards on the lockers, not even noticing as I sat on my heels beside her. "Things didn't go so well, I gather?"

Her face brightened for a moment at the sight, "Oh, hey Kara. Nice to see your experiment succeed…No, things didn't go so well. The Council put up a fleet around the Citadel, that's the good news. Bad news, they locked us down, apparently because our volatile actions on Virmire don't warrant "

"Did your representative be of much help?" I highly doubted Senator Udina being a reliable ally at these times.

Shepard scoffed, "That's the thing, that bastard sold us out to get brownie points with the Council."

I expected as much, "Ah politics…so complicated, and yet so simple…I think I'll write a manual on the redundant manuevers of people like him. It's going to be seven pages long!" Shepard resists laughing at my inadequate attempt to lighten up the mood.

"This is serious, Kara!" She yells, "If Saren is left to do his dirty work in Ilos, you could be damned sure we'll be having Reapers at the galaxy's front door the next day!" She breathes a huff of irritation, apologizing immediately for her outburst. "I'm sorry…I…I just…"

"You're frustrated, I get it. The Council's a bunch of self-concerned jackasses, I get that too. Oh, let's not forget, Udina's a backstabbing SOB. Yell all you want, it's not going to change any of them."

She sighs wearily, "Your point, Kara?"

I grin, "Point being, maybe we don't have to stay locked down. Get my meaning?"

Shepard was tired, too tired to catch on quickly. Slowly, her expression changes to gloomy to a little worried. "You're not suggesting-

I act shocked, "I'm not suggesting anything! How could you think that, Commander? I'm just speculating if a certain someone causes a certain glitch of a certain docking clamp of a certain space station, would that certain locked down ship be missed?"

Shepard nods slowly, "Uh-huh."

"Come on, you've got to admit, it's the only option you have right now. Unless your unmatched charisma could somehow change the Council's mind."

She pauses, pondering on this for a full minute before answering, "There are worse things than being called a traitor." She finally agrees! "Quite an idea you have there."

I stand up and extend my hand, "What idea?"

"Exactly." She grabs it, and I pull her up. "Now, let's do this."

Udina had issued the lockdown order, and I was going to take great pleasure defying the quote 'backstabbing bastard' unquote order. It won't actually take much effort on my end to lift the lockdown, but it may take a few minutes to sever the ties leading back to me. The Council can bluster all the want, but if the evidence is gone, so will be the case.

Joker, having been brought on short notice to his station, manuevered the Normandy out of the docks and sped us towards the mass relay. No alarms were triggered, no security measures implemented.

I'm still good at it.

"Well, that's one down, another leg to go." Shepard comments.

"So what's the plan for now, Commander?" I ask. "It's a long way from the Mu Relay to Ilos."

She turns to me and beckons me to come with her back down to the Jaeger, "I've been hearing an awful lot about the things you've been working on, and I apologize if I haven't been paying attention before."

"No need, other things required your focus." I reassure her.

"We're going to need everything to gain an edge against Saren and the Geth, are there any of your inventions that can do just that?" She asks.

"Let's see." I make a mental list, "Geth, like many machines, are affected negatively with high concentrations of EMP waves. I think I can replicate the desired effect, maybe an EMP cannon?"

"Hmm, good idea. How are you going to do it?" She says as we fell in step.

"Already done." I gesture dramatically towards the workbench next to the Jaeger, "Feast your eyes on my latest project. I think I'll call it Zeus, for lack of a fancier name." I jest.

The handheld cannon was roughly the size of a small glove, shaped sleek and crafted not so differently from the Geth themselves. The emitter would fit over and around the hand and would fire when the wearer's fingers unflexed themeselves and then jerked forward.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to tell the Commander that **before** she donned the AI-hazardous weapon and unflexed her fingers. The effect is something to be left to the imagination.

"Auff!" I exclaim, catapulting backwards into a stack of crates. My limbs jerked and convulsed involuntarily and my eyes rolled back and forth in their sockets. Shepard tossed aside the handcannon and rushed to my aid, "Oh no, I'm so sorry! Kara, are you okay? Say something!"

"Ow…" I come to my senses, "Well, I'm just happy to know it works." I giggle, swaying as I was helped to get to my feet.

She shakes her head, "I really am sorry, that shouldn't have happened." Her hands, for some reason, linger a lot longer than necessary on my waist. I look down at them and then back up to her questioningly.

"Commander, we're approaching our destination. I think you should ready up." Joker's voice called out from the intercom, interrupting whatever it was that she was going to say.

She clears her throat, "Are you up for combat, Ms Kara?"

I shrug and smoothen the nanoweave suit, "Why yes, I've been itching to test out the potential applications of this new platform on the field." And I detach the EMP emitter from its glove with a slight twist of the hand, following the Commander back to the bridge where we were needed.

I then realize, as we stood there, that we hardly had anything done during the journey through the Mu relay. I silently hoped that whatever gadgets I've come up with before will benefit the team in spite of their lack of number.

Ilos came in sight, a dry and barren wasteland of a planet not so unlike Feros. I had to guess it involved a whole new level of Prothean ruins than our previous missions. Whatever Saren was here for, it was bigger and set on a larger scale now that his plans were so close to fruition.

I silence the inner calculator and turn to discuss our strategy with the team. Shepard wanted a drop from the skies in the Mako, like always. The Normandy's navigator, Mr. Pressley, objected. Geth warships were patrolling Ilos' orbit, and it would be impossible for us to close in without them getting a bead on us.

The closest we could go, which was a very bad gamble, was twenty meters. Joker stated that he could pull off the stunt and then get out before any Geth could shoot down his beloved ship.

"I believe it's worth a go." I say, that damned calculator screaming its statistics again, stating that we'd have a better chance winning at Skyllian Five poker than this. I won't even say what per cent our chances were of success this time, I'll just go for it.

"See? Even Kara agrees with me!" Joker upraises my support. Kaidan and Ashley didn't.

"We'll never make it!" Kaidan turns to the Commander, who had the final say in the matter. "Shepard, ultimately it's your call, what do we do?"

She doesn't even hesitate, "If that's the best we can go with, I'm not seeing any other option. Gear up and head for the Mako, we're going to get the drop on Saren one way or another."

They nod and head down as instructed. Liara wanted to come with us, probably because she wanted to see for herself the history of the race that she so passionately chased after. I point out her skill biotically and Shepard relents from her initial reluctance. She then singles out Garrus, knowing that having another sharpshooter will be an asset to the team as much as the asari biotic.

I fasten the emitter prototypes onto Shepard's palms, the nanites bonding the simulacra of her stealthsuit and melding them together to create a permanent change and upgrade to her suit's arsenal. I grin as I did so, "Remember, point it at the bad guys, okay?"

She chuckles, "Yes mom."

Ashley notices our playful banter, perhaps a little too well, but says nothing. We board the tank, the Chief taking her usual spot in the front seat and all the rest at the back.

Joker issues the deployment beacon and Ashley steps on it, the hangar doors opening and sending the six wheeled tank out into the sand swept ruins of Ilos. From the slits of the front cameras, I could see Saren and a group of Geth heading inside what looked like an ancient bunker door. The panels were sliding shut, and did just as the Mako rolled to a stop at the threshold.

"Damn, missed him!" Ashley curses our timing.

"Keep your head in the game, Chief." Shepard cocks her submachinegun, "The mission's just starting."

.We exit the Mako, Garrus taking position to cover all angles the Geth might take advantage of. I squat down next to that faded interface console beside the bunker's doors.

"Can you override it, Kara?" Shepard asks.

"A 50,000 year old and extremely outdated security lock with nothing but my hands and assimilation techniques? That'll take more than thirty minutes…"

"Thirty minutes! That's the best you can do?" Ashley exclaims.

"Pretty much."

Garrus calls out while taking a shot with his rifle, "Better work fast, 'cause here come the Geth!"

My fingers dexterously manuevered through the ancient Prothean circuitry, amazed that even an advanced race such as they would be patterned in this manner. The connection between me and the machine was choppy, and I could only knock down three firewalls per six minutes. All the while, Shepard and the team kept the Geth off my back as I attempted to unlock the bunker door.

A shot glances off of my shields, the barriers flickering and knocking me slightly. I take one hand off the console and fire the Supremus with the other to send a shell exploding against a heavily damaged Geth Prime.

"How's it going down there!?" Ashley inquires, commandeering the Mako's guns and barreling the tank back and forth to crush the shock troopers and blasting apart any armatures in the frey.

"Seventeen minutes! Give me that long!" I yell back, tensing up as I saw the Commander stagger back from a Geth trooper's melee strike when she got too close. She fell on her back, her rifle knocked out of her hands, and I yell. "Shepard, the emitters!"

She catches on quickly and thrusts out both of her hands outward, the pulse sending a devastating wave of electrical particles that tore the Geth apart from the inside and scrambled the armatures' targeting systems from behind it. The trooper toppled to the ground at her feet, and Shepard snatched up her rifle.

"I've got it!" I call out suddenly, the bunker doors swiveling open. Ashley beckons the team back inside the Mako, and just in time to avoid getting slaughtered as they went from the onslaught of Geth reinforcements. I commanded the doors to shut on our way in, cutting off access and buying us somw time as we chased Saren inside the bunker.

"Thirty minutes huh?" Ashley smirks, "That's the first time you've got your estimations wrong."

I roll my eyes, turning my attention to the Commander. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." She swabs a bit of medigel on her cuts. Garrus' attention was fixed on the prototypes, "I think I'll be needing one of those."

"There'll be more for the whole team once we've concluded our business here." I assure him.

"Commander, more Geth." Ashley announces. Shepard promptly tells her to accelerate, an action the Chief never hesitates to follow. There was a sickening crunch as the Mako broke down the poor androids and sped along the river that rran along the path into the deeper section of the bunker.

All around us, I could see weird but exotic Prothean sculptures. Strange though, they resembled Reaper husks seated on stone thrones.

"Whoa!" Ashley exclaims, her feet both slamming on the brakes as a large orange barrier lit up over the entire corridor through which we intended to pass! "What the hell!"

"Kara?" Commander Shepard asks.

"What? It wasn't me…" I shrug, "Whatever it is, we're not going anywhere any time soon."

"Saren's laid a trap."

I shake my head slowly, "This doesn't look like Saren's work."

We reluctantly exit the Mako, and Shepard eyes the barrier up and down. "Can it be overriden like the bunker doors?"

I frown, looking around and spotting an elevator on the side. "Maybe we don't have to."

"Oh, why didn't I see that before?" Liara asked out loud. We leave the Mako behind, boarding the ancient elevator up to wherever it ended, hoping to find some clue to our next objective.

What we found was completely unexpected.

"Wow…Quite a spacious chamber for a military bunker." I remark, eyeing the strange cylindrical pods stuck into the walls and the flickering orange digital manifestation in the center. I froze as I realize with wildly pulsating core what it could possibly be. The thing that set the barrier on, just like all other VI controlled objects around me, I felt its call.

Shepard approached it, the attention of all present in the room now directed solely on the Prothean VI as it spoke to us.

" _You are not Prothean."_ It addresses the Commander first. Then to me, _"You are machine. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. The reason why we sent our warning through the beacons."_

The single toned voice held no malice towards me, a good sign concerning that wherever I go, sentient machines were hardly welcomed with open arms.

" _I do not sense the taint of indoctrination on you, unlike the other that had passed through here recently. Perhaps there is still hope."_

Oh no, Saren gave us the slip. Again.

Liara, as expected, was bounding with excitement. "This is incredible! An actual Prothean VI, and I can understand it!"

" _I have been monitoring your communications since you've arrived at this facility. I have translated my output into a format you can comprehend."_ It explains. _"My name is Vigil, you are safe here for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe."_

Shepard got the point, leaving out her amazement to keep focused on our objective. "Why did you bring us here?"

" _You must break a cycle that has continued over millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand. Or make the same mistakes as we did."_

Vigil continued, _"The Citadel has been the heart of your civilization, the seat of your government. As it was with us, as it was with countless civilizations before us. But the Citadel is a trap. The station is actually an enormous mass relay. One that links to dark space, the empty void beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the Citadel is activated, the Reapers will pour through, and all you know will be destroyed."_

"How can nobody realize that the Citadel is an inactive mass relay?" I asked.

Really no more than a VI, and not even addressing me as Sovereign did on Virmire, Vigil answered. _"The Reapers are careful to keep the greatest secrets of the Citadel hidden. That is why they created a species of seemingly benign organic caretakers."_

"The keepers?" I ask incredulously. I knew there was something fishy about those oversized mantises all along.

" _Yes, to insure that no civilzation will ever understand the Citadel's technologies, reliance on the keepers is key to it, until the realy is activated and the Reapers invade."_

Shepard's eyes widen at this revelation, "The Reapers can wipe out the Council and the entire Citadel fleet in a single surprise attack!"

There was no sadness in Vigil's tone as it agreed with the similarity, " _That was our fate. Our leaders were dead before we even realized we were under attack. The Reapers seized control of the Citadel, and through it, the mass relays. Communication and transportation were crippled. Each star system was isolated, cut off from the others. Easy prey for the Reaper fleets. They advanced through every settled region of the galaxy. Some worlds utterly destroyed."_

I think back on the unnatural dust clouds above Feros, piecing together what I've learned and getting sad at the thought of all those billions of innocents killed on that broken world.

But Vigil wasn't finished, _"Others were conquered, their population enslaved."_

Indoctrination. Like what Singularity has been experimenting on with Saren! When this is all done, I'm taking down that damned corporation first thing in the morning.

The Prothean went on about the horrible results left in the Reapers' wake. Having the Protheans turn on each other, then slowly but surgically put down when resistance was shown. All traces of their once glorious civilization was stripped, harvested, then left as the Reapers returned to dark space. The few remaining indoctrinated slaves, incapable of independent thought, starved and wasted away. The genocide was completed.

"Why do the Reapers do this? What do they gain from all this genocide?" Liara asks.

"I don't think we need to understand why, doctor." I answer, "They're monsters, and they do what monsters do best."

"Tell me what I have to do." Shepard says to Vigil.

" _The Conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, we Protheans were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind mass relay technology. Ilos was a top secret facility. Here, researchers worked to create a small scale version of a mass relay. One that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the relay network."_

"The Conduit is not a weapon, it is a back door into the Citadel!" Liara exclaims.

"But why is Saren trying to find it?"

" _The Conduit gives him access to the Citadel and the keepers. The keepers are controlled by the Citadel. Before each invasion, a signal is sent through the station compelling the keepers to activate the Citadel relay. After decades of feverish study, our scientists discovered a way to alter this signal. Using the Conduit, they gained access to the Citadel and made the modifications. This time, when Sovereign sent the signal, the keepers ignored it. The Reapers remained trapped in dark space."_

Now it makes sense, "Saren's going to use the Conduit to bypass the Citadel's defenses."

" _And will transfer control over to Sovereign, and will override the Citadel's systems to manually open the relay. And the cycle of extinction will begin again."_

"Is there any way we can stop them?" Shepard inquires desperately.

" _There is a data file in my console, take a copy when you go. When you reach the Citadel's master control unit, upload it to the station. It will corrupt the Citadel's security protocols, and give you temporary control over the station. It might give you a chance against Sovereign."_

I extended my hand to copy as instructed, Garrus took this time to speak up. "Wait. Where's the Citadel's master control unit? I've never heard of anything like that."

Vigil answers, _"Through the Conduit. Follow Saren. He will lead you to your destination."_

"Saren's had enough of a headstart, grab that datafile and let's move!" Shepard orders.

Liara wanted to stay, for obvious reasons, her love for Protheans getting the better of her. "Shepard are you sure? Who knows how much longer Vigil will be here? Even now the projection is weak. This might be our only chance of speaking with it – our only link to the knowledge of the Protheans! It is the opportunity of a lifetime!"

While everyone focused on dissuading the passionate asari from this and convincing her to stay on the objective, I took this as my chance to have a little robo-talk with Vigil. My hand was over the console, downloading the datafile as ordered. I asked Vigil to give me access to what about Prothean culture and other essential facts about their civilization before the war that he had. Vigil refused at first, probably the result of miscommunication. It probably thought I was asking for military secrets or weapon schematics, and had to do its job guarding those secrets. It took a full minute, which was about an hour for machines like me, to have it understand what I was asking for.

It's going to be my gift for the asari scientist, maybe later on when this was over. Or at least, that was my plan.

Within seconds, my mind was filled with billions and billions of brief glimpses and visions of the awestriking age of the Protheans. And this awe was not in respect of the Protheans being regal and benevolent creatures. No. They were a subjugating species, and a power-hungry race at that. Every race put to heel was forced to relinquish their own culture and embrace to Prothean way. Their empire spanned the whole galaxy, their worlds frought with constant war against their own creations, killing machines not unlike the Geth.

I shudder at the thought of relaying this information to the naïve Liara, worried that in doing so will crush the innocent asari's soul. I decided it would be best not to, at least not yet, and then finished with downloading the datafile so that we could finally be on our way.

Liara was silent on our trip through the corridors of the bunker, disappointed in her lost chance of gaining perspective on the Protheans just a little bit more.

Ashley floored the accelerator, gaining speed and ramming aside any Geth foolish enough to be in her path.

Ahead, we could see the Conduit, the mini-relay surrounded with Geth armatures. Rockets whizzed across that rough patch of earth, and we were saved by the Chief's expert handling of the Mako.

"Floor it Chief!" Shepard yells.

"Already am, hang on!" Ashley announces, heading into an earthen ramp to get a dramatic fly into the Conduit.

 **}!{**


	18. Chapter 18: At What Cost?

**O-kay. So it's up for the battle for the Citadel, here goes…**

 **Warning: Major twist with Kara concerning the Reapers, please tell me what you think about it…I'd love to hear from you…**

 **}!{**

"Ow, someone really should write a protocol about emergency landings." Garrus quips as he rubs his neck. The Mako was a total loss, landing on its side and wrecking up the Council monument outside.

The crew exited through the backdoor, readying up as Geth troopers were called in to investigate. Supremus was running low on ammo, having an exclusive type of ammunition compared to other guns, and the Mako wasn't loaded out for a replenishing run.

As more of the enemy poured in on us, the chamber clicked empty and the indicator showed a big fat and bright red 0. I looked around, my eye spying the massive cannon protruding from the Mako, and smirked at the wild idea.

Wrenching the massive weapon free off of its hinges and setting the nanites to weld the ammo packets together, I stacked the trigger alongside a makeshift handle to create an improvised chaingun out of the cannon. Garrus paused to watch in genuine interest, jaw dropping as I unloaded the heavy payload onto the approaching machines. The noise it made drowned out everything else, an attribute of humans that existed with every weapon they create- more noise means more power.

Gradually, the chaos died down until nothing was left of the courtyard but a pile of smoking and broken down machine corpses. Shepard signaled the team to regroup and ascend the elevator towards the Council chambers, the most likely spot Saren would be in as Vigil had directed.

The ascent was slow, as usual, a chance for us to catch our breath and prepare for the upcoming battle for the Citadel. Shepard looked at me and said, "Kara-

I stop her, "I know. But this mission won't be our last, Commander, rest easy."

She smiles, "Your estimation skills told you that?"

I shake my head and hefted the heavy assault cannon, "No, my incurable optimism does."

"Look! Up there!" Ashley points out the ongoing battle between the Geth dreadnoughts and the Council fleets. The battle was would've been a stalmate, each ship matching firepower for firepower, had it not for the surprise attack mounted by the Geth. Even worse, Sovereign himself showed up, barreling past a turian flagship like it was a glasscrafted model!

Then, I had a brief pause to examine the data schematic of the virus Vigil gave me. A thought crossed my mind, one that showed a variety of outcomes that gave promise and appealed greatly. Like a conduit, Saren was connected in deeply to Sovereign. If I were to somehow ride that connection into Sovereign's consciousness, would I be able to control the Reaper?

The thought was dangerous, and I felt myself get excited over the gamble. I could end this battle with the briefest of finger snaps!

All I would need is Vigil's virus to act as the key, then close proximity to Saren and have him act as the keyhole, and then open the door through his mind using a similar technique I've used on Matriarch Benezia.

A bold plan. Would it work?

I had no time to analyze as the Reaper passed through the arms of the Citadel, those massive extensions locking down, the order given by the traitor turian from the high tower. Soon, we found how much was affected by the lockdown.

There was an audible hum, powering down and lights flickering as the elevator came to a stop. We were about a thousand yards away from the Council chambers and our options were just strained.

"Saren's locked down the elevators, suit up and get ready! We're going outside!" Shepard activates the stealthsuit's recon hood's life support protocols. Everyone else does the same with their helmets.

Garrus takes one look at me and then says, "Oh, right. You don't need to breathe."

 _Yeah, thanks for reminding me, jerk._

Shepard slams the butt of her rifle into the elevator windows, the shattered glass then pulled by the pressure of space dispersing the oxygen from within. She then jumps a short distance outside, relying on her magboots to secure her landing on the surface of the tower's wall, and we follow.

"Oh, now I'm scared of heights." I wince as we made for the top. Unfortunately for us, the Geth had the same idea.

Several dropships arrived on site, sending wave after wave of Geth drones hellbent on keeping us away from Saren. We punt, raining our own fire down on them. Nothing will stop us from taking down that turian bastard, and then Sovereign afterwards.

"Don't stop for them, we just need to reach the keeper vents!" Shepard orders.

The rotary cannon whirs to life, and I spray as many dropships I could render non-functional as possible. That action proved to be quite a downside, since the Geth now took me as too much of a threat to ignore, and they now focused their fire away from the rest of the team and then bore down on me!

"Kara, stick to cover! I won't have you damage that body so soon!" Shepard yells in the rush of the fight.

"This body is expendable." I find myself saying, "But you're not." I rush forward, bashing the cannon against shocktroopers like a mallet and peppering them full of holes. My barriers hold up, but just barely as I progressed onward as the point man. Shepard reluctantly agrees with my strategy and follows close behind, taking out snipers and drones that flew overhead from her position. Garrus watched our backs as we pressed on, Liara breaking apart huddled formations with her biotics and Ashley lobbing what was left of her bag of grenades ( I have no idea how she found the time to collect that many explosives ).

Eventually we reached the hatch that lead into the Council chambers, the walk into the room was a scenic to say the least. Where chinese blossom peach trees decorated the garden themed walls, now stands charred remnants of said decorations. Bodies of keepers and asari bodyguards littered the walkway, and this proved to be Saren's handiwork.

And then, _Klik!_ went the cannon I held, totally expended of its ammunition. _Damned typical of this age's technology. I'll add self-replicating ammunition to my list of inventions._

I laid the cannon onto the floor and turned to see Shepard handing me her sidearm. I am quite familiar with akimbo wielding, so I take out my own sidearm and add to the duo. Shepard signals the team to spread out, to cover all angles so that the turian won't give us the slip over this crucial point of events.

Suddenly, from the chasm dividing that condescending podium of the Council and the rest of the chamber, Saren appeared aboard his equally condescending hovercraft and tossed a warp grenade that would've blasted the whole team apart had Shepard not given the command to spread out.

I dove forward as the Commander distracted the ex-Spectre with her concussive shots, then unloaded both my thermal clips onto the hovercraft in an attempt to rid the turian of his high and mighty transporter. He looked down disdainfully and brought up his hand, wrapping me around a biotic field and totally immobalizing me.

Apparently, Saren has been modified since our last encounter.

"Let her go!" Shepard screeched.

Saren promptly unloaded his weapon to drive her back into cover. With the advantage of his hovercraft, he had full view of the chambers and would see any attack coming from a mile away. I expected his biotics to overwhelm me by now, but I soon found that he wanted to take this time to talk. I mean, what's a bad guy to resist talking about his evil plan in a confrontation like this, right? It makes for all the drama.

"Apologies, Shepard. I just don't want this puppet to keep interrupting me, there's quite a lot a wanted to say. Would you care to entreat me?" He doesn't wait for her answer, probably to bask in the 'brilliance' of his own voice. I roll my eyes. "You've lost, you know that don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel's systems. The relay will open, and the Reapers will return."

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve!" Shepard returns defiantly. Attagirl Jane.

"You've survived our encounter on Virmire. But I've changed since then, Sovereign improved me." _Uh oh, if Saren hadn't been that far gone since being indoctrinated, how much more would he be in now?_

"You let Sovereing implant you?! Are you fucking insane?!" Shepard cries out in disbelief.

Saren defended himself, "You don't understand Shepard! There is a place for organics in the new order. The Reapers need men and women of action. People like us! Sovereign recognizes your value. You've impressed it. Surrender to the Reapers and you will be spared, join us and we can find a place for you."

"Sovereign is controlling you through your implants! Can't you see that?!"

"The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither."

Even that got my attention, for the moment.

"I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny! Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!"

"Sovereign hasn't won yet! I can stop it from taking control of the Citadel, step aside and the invasion will never happen!" Shepard tries desperately.

For a moment, the briefest of such, Saren relents. "Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance to…unh!" He drops me like a rock and I hit the floor…hard. Saren reels as though struck, battling to regain control of himself. "The- the implants! Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry, it's too late for me…"

"It's not too late!" Shepard emerges out of cover, her gaze set on me. "Kara can reverse the effects of the indoctrination! Kara, show him."

I glare at the turian, his expression showing the tiniest bit of hope in those glowing blue eyes. But instead of feeling empathy and doing as ordered , I see another opportunity, one that could prove extremely useful in the days to come.

"Forgive me." I whisper, grabbing the approaching turian by the temples and flooding those implants with the virus. "Wai-wait, what are you doing?! Stop it! Stop i- Aaaaaggghhhh!" Saren's glowing blue eyes grow bright red, and his screams filled the air as everything in his mind was consumed within seconds, leaving the front door open for me to interface with the Reaper waiting on the other side.

My head pulled back and I felt my eyes burn. I felt my mind get sucked out of my body, like being pulled billions of lightyears away into farthest reaches of space. I could feel myself, a tiny drop in that ocean of voices, become one with the Reaper Collective. And when I say Collective, I mean by an immeasurable and frightening amount of thoughts and information that threatened to drown me. And I was fighting to stay afloat, literally or otherwise!

My will was tested to its limit to resist the howling voices of the Reapers, fighting in that battle on the psychic plane, to which most people would go mad from. Good thing I wasn't most people.

Shepard's voice sounded so far away, fading and whiting out like dust blown from the wind. I looked about, struggling to keep myself from fading as well. The manifestation of my will turned the churning ocean into a calm sea, and my feet were planted upon the water as if I weighed nothing at all.

" _The hell's happening now?"_ The thoughts of my head surprisingly voicing themselves out when my mouth remained shut.

There was a ripple that shook the calm sea, and a rush of running water indicated the presence of something big. As a shadow loomed over me, I turned around.

Sovereign was a lot bigger than I first surmised. With a body that resemled a robotic squid. The Reaper glared down at me, and I glared back.

" _ **Kara Solana."**_

" _Sovereign."_

" _ **Have you been so blinded by your hubris that you come, here, to this plane of existance when you know all too well is in my element? What would prompt such an act? Do you honestly believe that you can defeat me?"**_

Then there was that feeling, indescribable and powerful, that bolstered my cerebral matrix beyond known limits. Could it be that I was siphoning off of Reaper code like an oversized leech, I had no clue, I just believed I was ready to face down this small representative of a billion year old AI and nothing else mattered.

" _Defeat you?"_ I smile as I saw tendrils of blueish code warp across the ocean's horizon, battling against the thought-to-be superior Reaper's own. I was now a virus, and I was hungry. _"No. I've got something far worse for you."_

Make no mistake, this was no easy task. Unindoctrination may have been something I've adapted well enough to attempt and succeed at. But assimilation of a Reaper is on a far larger scale, even larger than I've ever attempted. Should I have taken this road, was Sovereign correct in telling me that I was blinded by my own hubris? Again, I did not care, I simply wanted that amount of code to suit my own purposes.

The storm rages on arounnd us, Sovereign putting up a hell of a fight, his manifestation unmoving though I slowly ate at his form. He watches with silent tongue, unminding the pain it brings as more and more of those segments were consumed by me.

" _ **This changes nothing, Young One. Even if you have that rough chance of success, we will come. The Reapers are the agents of Order, and nothing can stop us!"**_

" _Shut up, Sovereign! Your days of reaping are over, and I'm about to wreck your ass!"_

I felt the Reaper draw his consciousness away from me in vain attempt to retreat into the safety of the vast corners of his mind. But as he did so, I felt something else that made me laugh in triumph.

Fear.

I throw my head back an laugh as Vigil's virus, combined with my own modifications and rigorous pushes, snaked along the vulnerable interior workings of the Reaper AI and broke its code apart from the inside like an acid within a plastic jug. _"Fear me, Reaper. I mean the death of you."_

His screams of anguish sound like music to my ears, and I felt myself snap back into my own body, my hands relinquishing their hold on the charred remains of the turian Spectre.

"What the hell did you do?! You were supposed to unindoctrinate him only!" Shepard shouts as she catches me.

I point at the Reaper releasing its hold on the Citadel tower, just in time for the Citadel arms to open. We could hear the static lift and the dampening fields dissapate.

"Commander, look!" Garrus points at the Destiny Ascension, heavily damaged from all the Geth dreadnoughts swarming the massive warship. From the distance, a fleet of Alliance reinforcements came and repelled the invading force, taking advantage of the Geth as they fell into disarray from Sovereign's demise. The Reaper, like all the others, was torn to shreds by the oncoming fleets. Shepard forgot momentarily what I had just done, then looked down on me and wiped the blue blood flowing out of my nostril.

I continue to rasp, "I…We, we just killed a Reaper." And the task was neither that rewarding nor easy to accomplish. I could feel myself drain from all the action, knowing full well that while I had done the impossible today, I had sustained damage to several key functions that will severely impair my abilities in the future.

A small price to pay, perhaps? I had just learned how to partially assimilate Reapers, but at what cost?

 **}!{**

 **Yes indeed. What cost? Thank you for reading, leave a review and a PM if that's your thing :)**


	19. Chapter 19: The Falling Out

**}!{**

Sovereign's dead.

The Council saved, and the Alliance fleet along with it spared of further losses.

Best part, the Geth are hightailing it out of the expanse, with the Normandy about to sent out after them. For now, Shepard takes her time meeting with the Council to discuss humanity's proper reward for saving pretty much the whole galaxy in one day.

I should be at her side, feasting on loreals and getting some sort of promotion. Instead, I'm organizing the repair crews on the Normandy, or hanging alone in the docks. Then again, I was neither on the Alliance's employ or any other race in the galaxy except my own. Which brings the matter at hand.

I had full access to the Citadel's security cams, a perk made possible when I left a trace of myself on Citadel central control ( it sounds better than CCC ). I don't regret doing that, though, seeing how the Commander's conversation with the councilors panned out.

"How can you even say that? She helped save your lives, all of you!" Shepard defended.

"And have you considered this companion of yours to have an agenda of her own? And an AI to boot!" The turian councilor pointed out, "The seat of this coalition's government has been dealt with a serious blow, one that could have been fatal-

Shepard interrupted him with a vehement gesture of her finger, "That is because you refused to heed my warnings! Don't you dare place the blame on someone else for your incompetence!"

Tevos, always the diplomat, stepped in. "What the turian councilor meant to say on our behalf is that having this synthetic companion by your side raises concern. We admit our error in the matter concerning Saren, but we have on good authority to be right in taking precautions."

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "And what, madame councilor, is this precaution?"

The salarian spoke up, "Perhaps if you were to turn it over to us, for questioning, we can confirm for ourselves-

Shepard's voice turned low and dangerous at his poor choice of words, enough to make the amphibian step back in fear. " **She** saved your lives by risking her own, and this is how you repay in debt?" Apparently, anyone who calls me 'it' around Shepars is in for a black eye.

Cute.

I disconnect from the scene in disgust, relapsing into silence as I waited for Shepard to come back. As expected, she doesn't bring up the matter and instead elected to continue where we left off. "So Kara, are you free this evening?"

I smile inside at her thoughtful words, but reply sternly. "Thinking about dates when you're supposed to be manuevering a way out of the Council's order to lock me up?"

She looks stunned, "How did you…" her voice trails off.

I look at the set of tools lined neatly on piece of blue cloth, having finished tweaking with the Jaeger for maximum efficiency in its day to day performance. "I am an AI, Commander, I can access pretty much everything connected to a server, and the Citadel is a literal one- so you can guess how I was able to eavesdrop on your meeting."

Shepard purses her lips and lets me take the lead.

"They're not going to just take me in for questioning, you know that right?" I knew it and she knew it, I'm going to be a salarian's lab rat. Or best case scenario, reduced to a discarded and inert stack of data.

She shakes her head, "That's wild speculation, Kara. Sure, they're a little rotten around the edges, but they won't-

I access a surveillance camera and my suspicions were confirmed in an instant, "Even now they prep a small team of Spectres to take me in by force in case you refuse to comply. Hmph, how's that for 'rotten around the edges'?" I clearly regret saving the lives of those ungrateful politicians.

Shepard's eyes widen, "What?"

I was about to reply when I noticed she wasn't wearing the stealthsuit I made for her, "The gave it to them?" I can't even hide the feeling of betrayal.

She nods once and sighs, "A Spectre is above the law, but not the Council. The salarians want the tech for themselves, the councilor pointed out as much."

I grit my teeth in anger, "And the prototype emitters? Have they taken those too?"

Shepard nodded and winced as I slam my fist against the Jaeger, grunting as I extracted it from the sizable and deep dent in its armor. I stand up quickly, "So are you going to let them take me too, just as easy as some piece of equipment? You're not even going to put up a fight?!"

"No Kara, it's not like that-

I've never had to yell before, but my emotions were a hell of a lot more erratic than before. What the hell is wrong with me? "Y'know what? Save it, I don't want to hear your answer anyway."

I grasp the edges of the workbench in front of me, head bowed as it all came crashing back. "Just when I felt safe and had a purpose, when it finally felt right to stay in one place, things just have a nasty habit of going up in flames."

Shepard placed her hand on my shoulder, "Kara, look, there's something we can do about this."

I knock it away with a shrug of my arm, "No there isn't. The Council remains fixed on their decision."

I close my eyes and clench my fists, "I should have seen it coming." I open them and gaze upon the now silent Commander. "You should have killed me on Noveria like you were planning to do. Then I won't have to deal with all these illogical indulgements."

"Where will you go?"

I roll my eyes at her persistance and relent, "The only place a fugitive can go, the Terminus Systems. Besides, I've got a feeling that's where I was headed for before anyway."

We stand there in silence, when Shepard breaks it first. A simple goodbye that suffices more than a thousand words, "It's been good working with you, Kara."

I shove the Cradle into the Jaeger's cargo hold, prepping the engines for takeoff. "The feeling is mutual, Commander." My fingers nimbly tapped at the controls. I could have left without saying anything to her, like vanishing off into the night like a cliché princess with a glass slipper. But then, that would've been the coward's way out of a fight. In truth, it was good to have to say goodbye, I know from first hand experience what it feels like not to, even if it was for someone I hardly knew on a personal note.

Because from what I heard later on that week, as the Normandy made for that ill-fated trip hunting down the Geth, I would never have handled the grief it brought me upon hearing the news. And believe me, that's the first time in a long time I've had to grieve over a friend's death.

My mind is clear to its purpose. Singularity is going down, and I'll make sure it goes down hard.

 **}!{**

 **From here starts Mass Effect 2, prepare for a darker and ruthless Kara Solana. Or maybe Paragade, I dunno, whichever fits the events I have in mind…**


	20. Chapter 20: Those Two Years Part One

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Kara Solana…

Names used to have a meaning way back when. Now, they give them because they sound good. Yet now, that name sets alarm bells ringing. Touche.

Sixty-five years it took for me to finally have the courage to stand up against an obsessed AI overlord, two more to finally get close to find where this virus stems so that I may uproot it from where it stands.

I lean my cheek against my closed fist, eyes watching in boredom as the stars streaked past. Jaeger had been improved significantly, the revolutionary antimatter core I've designed and redesigned to purpose has suited well with the long distances I've travelled in and out of the charted traverses in search of the Board.

Unfortunately, my enemy has made a frustrating habit of constantly moving from place to place. Reliable sources among surgically precise interrogations have given me enough intel on the next possible worlds they might move to, but as of now, I have yet to narrow down the plausibilities.

For now, I'll make another pass at the Omega space station to buy myself another crate full of red sand. The drug has no side effects on me, that is if I were to use it for stimulating purposes, no. I found that when you burn the substance, it releases a most pleasant aroma. Thus, the use. And the Jaeger always smells like burnt red sand.

The gothic little empire of grit and blood greeted me like old news, and I welcomed the intimidating turrets that zoned in on me as the harbormasters called for my identification. This wasn't Syccalea or just any station, Omega was a crime underworld for a reason and the Queen shows just how much respect must be shown when showing up at her doorstep.

And I did. That's one mistake I won't make around here.

One turn led me to a dark and deserted alley, an environment not at all alien in this dark realm. Really, is there even a place light and sunny in Omega, come on. I walk on, pausing for a second when I heard voices.

Someone else was here.

I hug the wall and crouch near a stack of dusty crates. Heightening my auditory sensors to the exchange of the couple.

"Sorry. I thought we were being followed." That voice, vox distortion akin to the drell. Usually their kind's envolvement meant the issuance of a kill order or a bounty. What on Earth was a drell doing here on Omega? "My name is Feron, and you're right. I do know where Commander Shepard is. But you won't like what I have to tell you."

Commander Shepard? The mere mention of that name caused my core to quicken, I inch closer.

"The body has been recovered, in a stasis pod. If not dead, then certainly not alive. I know you came a long way, sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

"I need…I need to see the body, Feron. For myself." That voice…could it be?

"Liara, you're not the only one interested in finding Shepard. I suggest you let the dead sleep." The drell responds. I take this as my cue to emerge from my hiding place, and the doctor's contact drew his pistol reflexively and pointed it at me.

I hold up my hands in a passive display, "Whoa, easy there cowboy! Someone could get hurt." Liara reacts differently.

"Kara?" She walks over and hugs me, and me reacting stiffly as the platonic gesture caught me entirely off guard. "Goddess, it really is you!"

I didn't like that. But out of respect, I pat her back and break gently from her embrace.

"What are you doing here?" She asks.

"That corporation is still hunting you down?' Apparently the doctor had grown to be a lot less aloof now than before.

I nod, "They won't for long." I turn my attention to the issue at hand and change the subject, "But what makes me curious is that you would come all the way here for a funeral. What's all this about the Commander?"

"How much did you hear?" Feron asks, his sidearm being placed at his side.

"Enough to know some, and then again not enough for most."

"Shepard's body has been found. I'm…here to see to its proper place." Liara explains.

I nod in understanding, "I see."

"You should come with us, I'd feel better with a friend accompanying me." She offers.

I hesitate again, but relent in the end. "Well, my shopping can wait a few hours. Okay, let's go." In truth, seeing that the body goes to the right hands, I knew that it was the least I can do for the Commander. In fact, I was ashamed to let my personal needs cause me to pause in that decision. Friends don't do that to each other, even in death.

The drell led us through the streets of the city, away from the transit systems and crowded pop centers of Omega. "Why do we have to go on foot?" I asked. "It's not like Omega's any different from any space station."

"Yeah, but this isn't the Citadel. Transit's are going everywhere."

Liara shook her head, "I don't care, as long as we find-

Her sentence is cut off by an alarmed yell, and we were ambushed by six mercenaries bearing the distinctive blue armor of the Blue Suns. The asari archeologist was grabbed from behind, her hands pulsating with blue biotics which was about the only weapon she had on her person.

I wasn't.

The mercenaries didn't see me coming as I snatched free my dual M-7 Hoplite pistols, a variant I've come up with derived from the popular M-5 Phalanx, and unleashed an umbrella spray of mass accelerated rounds. The bullets tore through their shields and buried deep into their armor. While it didn't exactly kill the mercenaries, it definitely forced them to back away.

That moment of reprieve was short-lived, however, as a hulking krogan barreled into me head on, causing me to crash face-first into the hard metal street. _Ouch._

I hear the click of a Carnifex being primed, and I sit up to see the twin barrels stare down at me. "Stay where you are or get dead." The leader of the Suns rumbled. The krogan turned to Liara, confident that I was warned sufficiently to stay put. "You came all the way to Omega for someone who's dead. The Shadow Broker wants to know why."

 _Really, the Shadow Broker's taking notice now? Well, that explains all the spies watching me from every corner of every known metropolis._

"My interest is my own business, krogan." Liara declared in defiance, a remarkable reply considering that I initially thought of her incapable of doing. Have we all grown so calloused since the Commander's passing?

"Everything's my business, lady. Especially this. Shepard's a hot commodity. Now talk before I decide to-

His head goes up in one messy blast of red and crimson ichor, blown apart by a small spheric grenade launched from the bottom barrel of my pistol. Nobody expected me to move under the exchange, an oversight I exploited. Liara broke from her captors and threw them aside with her biotics, Feron using his assassin's training to incapacitate the mercs holding him with a series of blows to the neck and head. "Which way?!" Liara shouted as the firefight escalates.

"Any way!" I shout back as we take flight.

The two were breathless from running as far as we did, Feron showed as much when he pointed out a route to lose our pursuers. "Maybe here!"

I follow, helping the heavily panting asari as we followed close behind. We stopped dead in our tracks as another group of heavily armed men showed up, all of them bearing the symbol of an organization I know all too well. "Or then again, maybe not." Feron mumbles sheepishly. I promptly glared at him.

"Relax, everyone." A woman with a distinct Australian accent stepped in, wearing the trappings of a high ranking officer. "We're working towards the same goal. Finding Commander Shepard."

"Shepard's dead." Liara pointed out as she caught her breath.

"That's what they say." The woman says dismissively, "But she's beaten the odds before." She tilts her head to the side, "My name is Miranda Lawson, I represent someone who wants very much to meet you." I guessed as much. Now I'm involved with Cerberus too? I wrestled with the variables until her next words caused a total halt in my train of thought. "Work with us and we might be able to bring Shepard back."

"Ahem..I'm sorry, what?" I blurt in disbelief.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Liara reacted similarly.

Lawson turns to leave, with her men in tow. "Just come with us. You can even bring the drell, we're not being choosy today." I look at Feron, smiling slightly at his pouty expression.

Later, at a secluded area of the space station, the three of us sit together in a roomy chamber as we waited for Ms. Lawson to give us the clear for a meeting with Cerberus' head powerbroker. Liara's contact, surprisingly, acted hotly more than the two of us about the situation we were in.

"We shouldn't have come here Liara!" Feron said as he paced nervously, "Us, least of all! Don't you know who these people are?"

I lean back against the bench with my arms crossed, "Terrorists. Prohuman hate group. Anti-alien-remember-Shanxi among other Terra Firma ideals? Yeah, everybody knows who they are, that's the purpose of the thing called 'reputation'. And yeah, they've got a nasty one too."

"Exactly!" Feron agreed, but his words directed to his employer than to me. Sometimes I forget that people take one look at me and just assume I'm human, never having to look what's beneath the skin. "Never mind that your people sit on the Council, they don't have any more use for the asari than they do for the drell! I wouldn't listen to a word they say!"

Liara toys with a biotic pulse in her open palm, "At least they seem to want to get Shepard back-

"That's because Shepard's human, Liara!" The drell interjects, "First human Spectres, then a seat on the Council. It's all about them with these people. Would they weep if Shepard were a dead hanar, or a krogan?"

A few months ago, I would've giggled at the thought of Shepard having a large red scale and a komodo dragon for a face. Then a purple jellyfish. But then, I had changed…radically. And that scares the hell out of me.

"Our leader will see you now, Liara." The door hissed open as Miranda stepped out.

Liara looked at me and I nodded supportively, putting one leg over the other in a crosslegged pose. Feron replied, "No thanks, I'll stay."

"Good, because I didn't ask." The Cerberus officer said as she walked away, leaving a frown on the drell's face and a twitch of a smile on mine.

"Bitch."

I roll my eyes, and turn my thoughts to Singularity. Lately, that's the only thing that's been driving me forward these days. Now, this little turn has my attention. My equivalent of 'instincts' screamed that just being here so close to one of SingularityCorp's top customers was a bad idea, but I ignored it. Whatever it was that she mean by 'bringing Shepard back' had a lot of interpretations, sticking around will be the only way to find out for certain.

 **}!{**

 **I apologize for taking too long to update. Had to read the Redemption Comics first to insert my OC into them. Thanks for reading!**

 **Your thoughts?**


	21. Chapter 21: Those Two Years Part Two

**}!{**

In space, every moment is the middle of the night. And every attack is an ambush.

Life on a planet with seas prepared humanity for the idea that ships could be lost to mystery attackers. Space travel meant oceans with no horizons- with potential dangers in every direction. Humanity understood, and prepared.

Among all the ships, the Normandy should have been safe. The most advanced ship of the Alliance, and the vessel of Commander Shepard- the hero of the Citadel.

Normandy carried the hopes of humanity- and more- through the darkness.

But space is still space, and ambush still waits in the middle of the night. Even for the vigilant. The mystery attackers came quickly, striking with surgical precision at the Normandy. Defensive measures turned to crew survival operations, some were lucky enough to escape. Others weren't.

Including Commander Shepard.

For those who survived, and for those who weren't even around when needed most- namely me, the questions amounted to the same voice.

Who did it? And why? Who had access to tremendous, deadly accurate, firepower?

And most of all; why would shadowy and powerful forces take a sudden and perverse interest in obtaining, of all things, Commander Shepard's body?

"Hey, are you listening?"

Miranda snapping at me drove me out of my reverie, and I looked up. We had already arrived at a busy pedestrian crossroad. The Cerberus operative had a hand on her hip, finger tapping impatiently as Liara and I got off her car. "I was saying if you want to find Shepard, the ones who attacked you earlier are the key. The Blue Suns."

"I thought that was dealt with when I blew that krogan's head off." I said.

"And you did an exemplary job of repainting the street too." Miranda said sarcastically, "From our perspective, they're just the big idiot brigade responsible for keeping you from finding the Commander. Which means that the drell may be right, the body's here in Omega and the Suns have it."

She takes a look around, "If the body had left, I would know. They haven't made the final handoff to the Shadow Broker's agent, which means that we still got a chance."

"Do we now?" I say.

"Find the body, bring it here. And we'll pay for your expenses." Miranda hands over a datapad to Liara, getting back into the skycar. For a woman working as the notorious Illusive Man's top agent, she has a lot to do in a day.

"That's not even something worth fighting for." I mutter, knowing that I can hack just about anyone's account no matter how secure and just siphon out of their own credits. But fortunately for me, Cerberus still doesn't know a thing about me, and thus don't know of my kind of person in spite of their involvement with Singularity.

"Like the boss said, Liara, ask the drell. Put your bumpy heads together, and I'm sure you'll come up with something." The door comes down and the skycar engines hum to life, levitating the vehicle and sending it flying up into the streaks of light in Omega's skies.

Right. So I'm working with Cerberus now? Mother will be so ashamed.

Feron begins to think out loud, his words sort of baffling me since the meaning or root is lost upon me. "She's a bigger fool than I thought if she thinks I would help them. And besides, you saw what happened the last time Ied you somewhere. What do you think I can give you?"

Liara glares daggers at the drell, "Quite a lot, I should think-" I notice her stance change, and a warning blares through my consciousness that spelled 'Violence Immenent'. The biotics sheathing her arm did nothing to appease said warning, "-from an agent of the Shadow Broker!" Before I could stop her, her arm flies.

"Wha- Feron yelps as the strike connected with his cheek, some bone breaking even under the tough layer of scale sheathing his face! He sprawls over to the ground, causing several bystanders to look on at the scene played out.

Omega had a lot of instances like these, so the people just took one look and then went about their business.

I restrain the baleful asari, giving her a stern look in an effort to calm her down. "Cool off. We need him."

"You could've killed me!" Feron exclaims as he wiped the blood off of his mouth.

"And those mercs could have killed me, Feron!" Liara shot back, "You were the only person who knew I was coming for Shepard, but they found me anyway! So either they knew exactly what you were up to- or you sold me out!"

"That…actually makes sense." I agree, hand on my guns as the drell got back to his feet.

I wasn't listening to the words he was saying to convince Liara to trust him, I was paying close attention to every subtle detail in his face and heartrate to indicate if he was lying. So far, results were negative. Liara needed his knowledge of things badly, and so reluctantly allowed him to lead on.

I kept my eye on him as we ascended an ellaborately crafted set of stairs lined with many nightclub patrons. It was then that I realized that I was entering Omega's de facto palace, embassy and council chamber all rolled into one- Afterlife!

Low, loud, intimidating and hallucinating techno music played over the speakers. Combined with neon lights and red lighting, poles lined on every corner with many a stripper snaking along for the next big tip, the sight was like a wave of dark and intoxicating concoctions that overwhelmed one's senses- and that was barely past the front door!

I frowned and stuck close to the asari, scared out of my shell that my attention was constantly being drawn to the succulent bared-skinned exotic dancers licking their lips suggestively whilst showing off their bountiful assets…among others I have neither the vocabulary nor the will to mention.

"Kara, stay with me!" Liara called above the noise, "Feron, what is this? This is where we started!"

"Weren't you listening?" He replied, "I was supposed to lead you away." Owing to the convincing argument he made earlier.

"Shepard's here?" I ask, my doubt in his motives showing in my voice.

"Not unless corpses could dance. No, we're here for Aria."

I froze. _Shit._

"The Queen of Omega, huh? Some palace." Liara comments.

"Oh I don't know, princesses." A deep growly voice interjects, two strong arms grabbing me and Liara from behind. A maliciously grinning pot-bellied batarian stood a head taller than both of us, "I can find a throne, for both of you."

He turns to the volus climbing off of his seat and waddling over to us, "Move it, we're going to need some room!"

I hear the stout little alien address the drell amidst a pause in inhalation every now and then, "Are the girls for sale, trader?" _Okay, now that's crossing the line. Do I look like fucking hooker to you?_ "The market's overflowing with asari consorts since the attack on the Citadel. But my associate and I can always find a place for excess inventory, especially for this rare human flowe-

Me and Liara are of singular mind. My fist comes up and connects with the tall four-eyed freak, jarring his brain within his skull and sending a dark red mixture of blood and spit high in the air, before having my foot bury itself in that wobbly bulging stomach. Liara just gives the volus a doozy of a slap, hand wrapped in biotics for good measure and sending him flying into the wall beside his downed associate.

"I think I understand why they call this Afterlife." Liara suprises me with a quip of her own. Usually, the young asari would just put a sour pout and stay silent for the remainder of the mission. Now, I'm not so sure.

"You have to tell me how your mother's doing all this time." I say something totally out of the topic.

Liara smiles at my attempt to distract her and dusts off her hands, "Can we move this along, Feron?"

Feron nods, turning to the even larger batarian guarding the Queen's high throne entrances. "If the floor show's done, Anto, we're here to see Aria."

"She's busy. Too busy to deal with a snitch-for-hire like you." Anto rumbles.

I look up, accessing a local cam feed to see a bored looking asari matriarch leaning back casually on her round and comfy black leather throne while gazing in disinterest at the twin asari strippers doing delicious things to each other on a table in front of her.

 _Busy? Hmph, I'll say…_

"Uh-huh. I guess I'll have to find another way to let her know about the business you and I usually do. But then, she probably wouldn't mind knowing that someone on her payroll 's been selling info on who she sees and when." Bold move.

Anto's lip twitches nervously, and lets us in after succumbing to Feron's bluff. He takes us upstairs, where the Queen awaits on her luxuries seat, the strippers having done with their show for tonight and sent away.

Her sultry and dangerously authoritarian voice called out, echoing dramatically in the hall from which we stood, her form silhoutted by pink lights of the neon images outside. "Your friends are better looking than your usual company, Feron. Which means…" She rose from her seat and takes a cat's walk towards me, "She..and her…are not your friends. I liked what I saw, how you dealt with the gentleman downstairs." Her hand slid from my arm to my shoulder, "Tell me, pretty bird. What would be the case this time?"

"He thought I was a whore." I declare matter-of-factly. "I showed him him differently."

The great Aria T'Loak laughs, "That's what I like, a woman who never lets the world define who she is." Then turns her attention to Feron and Liara, "It isn't often that the Shadow Broker sends his minions to me for help. I'll bet it's something big…and juicy." That last part gave me shivers. _I'll need to remind myself to take a shower after this is all done._

Liara and I do the smart thing and kept silent, letting our drell 'friend' do the talking.

"Just checking on some merchandise, Aria." Feron answers, "The body of Commander Shepard. I know the Blues Suns are set to deliver it to the Shadow Broker, I need to know where."

"You don't?" Aria raises a brow, "I knew the Broker likes secrecy. But for his own man not to know what he's up to…"

That must've been embarassing for Feron, but even if he was, he certainly did not show it.

"The Shadow Broker is powerful, but Omega is mine. I know everything that happens here. I _do_ know about the transfer, but I need something in return. Why, Feron, is the Broker so interested with Shepard?"

"I-I don't know. That's what we're trying to-

"Bullshit!" Aria smirked as she turned her back, "Of course you know. And if you want to find Shepard, you'll tell me."

Liara took this time to speak up, "Because the Shadow Broker is working with the Collectors! They're the ones who want Shepard's body!"

I look at her dumbfounded. This little bit of info eluded me, and I didn't even ask Liara about her conversation with the Illusive Man! If the Collectors were involved, as shady as they were, then this venture took a turn from exciting to…well, something worse.

Aria reacted as much, "The Collectors!? Nobody said anything about the Collectors!"

Feron started to say, "I thought you knew everything that went on in-

But he was cut off. Aria was livid, something about those insectiod aliens got under her skin, "Out of here! All of you! Anto, get in here! Get them out now!"

Liara wouldn't back down, "Wait! I told you what you wanted to know. Where are they taking Shepard?" Brave girl.

Aria's face was one contorted with rage over being interrupted, but with great restraint, she heaved a sigh. "The lower levels of Omega. Old mining processing plants, the Blue Suns were taking your friend there." She motioned for her guards, "This meeting is over."

I bobbed my head, "Thank you, Aria."

As we were led away, I hear the Queen mutter through my hightened auditory receptors. "First time in five hundred years someone said that to me."

Following an old map of the tunnels in Liara's Omni-tool, the three of us rode elevators, climbed down rusted ladders and descended staircases to the Suns' rendezvouz point. Unlike the Citadel, in its uniform beauty, Omega has been built rebuilt over generations. It became, literally, the station that ate away at the asteroid. Once processed, rich metals inside rose as towers in the exterior.

But deep beneath the snarl of structures built by later occupants, the mining levels remain, their hangar bays making them more accessible from the outside, by ship, rather from the labyrinth within.

Here, a convenient for smugglers and slavers to export their more illicit merchandises. Those including the heavy weapons platforms that dot Omega's defenses by warring factions.

"That's them alright." Feron whispered as we crouched behind several metal containers. Each corner and catwalk had about five Blue Suns mercs guarding the place, the security hightened due to our involvement. The Shadow Broker is cautious, and won't hesitate to double the guard when most convenient for him.

"Looks like we even got here first. Smooth and easy. Did I tell you Aria knows her station?"

I shake my head a bit, "The popular places anyway…"

He shushed me, pointing out a sleek and salarian crafted vessel approaching the docking area. As the engines died down, a muscular and heavily armed salarian walked out. From Feron's expression, I could tell the guy wasn't someone he'd expect to walk in on the show. "Damn, did I say easy? Forget it…"

"Don't tell me you're backing out now just because of the salarian!" I hiss.

He looked at me incredulously, "That _salarian_ is the Broker's one and only hitman! His name's Tazzik, and the Broker sends him only in the rare occasion when he wants something- or someone- badly. These mercs are hired muscle, Taz is who he calls when he wants results."

I prime my Hoplites, "Oh trust me, there will _definitely_ be results."

A small man-sized capsule was brought in. My eyes widened when I realized what it was, and the asari archeologist did too.

"That's it! That's Shepard!" She sprang up, biotics at the ready. Feron lunged and tackled her back into the floor, hissing while covering her mouth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! It's too risky!"

Liara threw him aside, "Let me go! I've crossed half the galaxy for this, Feron! I'm not giving you time to change your mind!"

"You're afraid I'm going to run?" The drell raised a brow.

"Pretty much, yeah." I said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'm more afraid you'll switch sides again." Liara agrees, "I haven't let you out of my sight for fear you'll get a better offer!" _Really? How much did you pay him?_

"Hmm. No, I have a better idea." Feron pointed at some old defense turrets, "One shot will disable Tazzik's ship before they can go anywhere."

I glanced at the mercenaried making the exchange, the Broker's enforcer has just paid the credits due and was now guiding the capsule to his ship, "Better make it fast, our window's closing."

Liara and I went down the stairs together, Feron sneaking off to man the gun while we got close to Tazzik. The salarian was barking harshly at the mercenaries, arguing that the way they were handling the capsule was inadequate to say the least.

"What's the problem? It's not like the body's going to be damaged any more than it already is!" The merc captain shot back.

Tazzik growled, "Yeah? If it does, it's _you_ who gets damaged! I'll take it from here!"

Liara's eyes and arms glowed bright blue, and I aimed both my guns at the salarian. I would've gotten a nice clean shot at them, my targeting matrix surpassing even the best marksman in the galaxy. Unfortunately, a little bit of distractiong mixed with an outside element, such as say…a shockwave from a resulting explosion.

The crates beside Tazzik's ship erupted in ball of fire, the pulsation jarring my vision and causing glitches to appear, impending my aim and causing the shots to miss altogether!

"Dammit, he missed!" I growled, both annoyed at Feron's lack at marksmanship and my inability to compensate when it mattered most. "Go!" I yell to Liara as she recovered from her recoil.

The mercenaries were surprised by this turn of events, hefting their weapons and spraying our position. Liara and I made on our separate ways, her biotics cracking bone and armor, my Hoplites chewing through barriers and burrowing through flesh.

Another explosion, this time coming from the gun that Feron had been operating, blown apart by Tazzik's grenade launcher. The drell ducked behind a pile of construction materials, vaulting out to dish some damage.

"Now I remember why I work alone." I heard Tazzik mutter, hefting that launcher and sending two screaming salvos, not at all caring that it was his own men he was firing on! Liara and Feron were knocked back, body parts of dead mercenaries cluttered here and there, leaving a fire-filled and smoky ruin.

The salarian calmly walked towards his ship, dragging Shepard's capsule behind him. I scrambled back to my feet and raced after him.

"Oh no you don't!" Another krogan made a charge, this time I was able to somersault above him as he barreled past. My hand was outstretched, and I caught my fingers under the ridges of his skull plate. The weight of my body combined with momentum caused him to jerk backwards, and he landed with a loud thud against the metal platform. There was a sizable dent where he lay, and I applied one good left hook just at the chin that broke his lower jaw in two.

I glanced up, dismayed as Tazzik's ship made for open space and headed for the Mass Relay. "No!"

The krogan beneath me cackled amidst the blood pouring from his lips, "Hehe, looks like its- what was it you humans say- game over? Hahahaha-

I take one look at him, reach down and grab the top of his plate. With one swift motion, I wrench the plate free from the krogan's head, bringing along the top of his eyes and snout. Blood drips from the gory piece of meat, and I thrust it aside, walking back to Liara as she gives Feron a smackdown of her own.

 **}!{**


	22. Chapter 22: Those Two Years Part Three

**}!{**

"Liara, no!" Feron yelps as another biotically enhanced blow drove him to the ground. Liara was standing over him, her rage made clear in that blue aura surrounding her body.

"How could you be so incompetent!? You let Tazzik get away!"

I cross my arms and lean against a crate, not even bothering to help the drell as the asari dished out another smack across the cheek, "Not to mention with Shepard too…"

"You're still working for the Shadow Broker, aren't you?" If there was a combination of hysterical and anger, this was probably it. "Aren't you?!"

"That, or the drell is cursed with a lousy aim." I comment.

"Shut up, Kara!" Liara retorted. I roll my eyes and kept silent, summoning the Jaeger to come to our position while the asari vents.

Feron leaned forward, but did the smart thing staying on the floor, "I never _stopped_ working for him, as far as he knows. But I didn't do that on purpose!"

"Like I'm supposed to believe that?!"

"I don't want the body going to the Collectors, Liara. But I told you, this is complicated. Now, you can blast me or we can get after Tazzik. My ship's nearby, we can follow him before he gets away with Shepard!"

"That won't be necessary." The Jaeger pops out of its stealth field, "My ship's faster, let's go."

Liara doesn't help Feron up, glaring down even though her decision was made. "You'd better be right about this Feron. If you can't help us find Shepard, I'm done with you."

"If you can't help us find Shepard, I'll put a round between your eyes." I added casually, visibly shaking the drell as I plopped down on the seat. I power up the antimatter engine and sent the Jaeger back into the Omega 2 Relay, past the glowing red relay that screamed thousands of warning signals to any ship closing in within a five thousand klick radius.

"Tell me, Feron, where to?"

"Alingon, pretty much the only base the Broker has through that particular Relay." He answers, drawing up his knees to his chin where he sat on my floor. Liara walks over to my side and trips over a box full of grenades.

"Goddess, you leave a box of explosives lying around?!" She exclaims.

"Hey, some thoughtful words to your host please? It's not like I was expecting any passengers, come on." I say defensively, priming up FTL drive and sending us through. The stars skidded back, and I felt myself along with the Jaeger get pulled and launched billions past the sound barrier.

"Kara, I'm sorry for my outburst earlier." Liara apologized, "That was immature, and you didn't deserve it."

I smiled, "That's alright, I understand what it feels like to go under that amount of stress." I keep my eyes through the cockpit, "I care about Shepard too, you know."

"And I as well." She crossed her arms and took a good look around the small compartment, "You live here?"

I nod, "Going about a month and a half now. Blame the Council for making me a fugitive again."

"I never really understood why you left the Citadel so soon after our battle with Saren. Was it true what they say, the Council really did call you a terrorist?"

"They _branded_ me a terrorist." I frown, "So they did that, huh?"

"The bombings in Syccalea, among others." Liara reminded me of the results of my one-woman-war against Singularity.

I smirked, "That there is my enemy's way of getting back at me, since they can't touch me." I look at her, "Why do you sound so surprised? That wasn't the first time the Council tried to cover up something. Yeah, they blamed me for a lot of things. But the worst was that they denied the existance of the Reapers even when one came knocking at their door."

Liara nodded in agreement, glancing up as we emerged into the Faryar system. The Jaeger chirped a warning signal, and I heeded it, just in time to scathe the surface of one of the Broker's sentry drone ship. "Omega all over again!" I glared at Feron, "Does the Shadow Broker attack everyone, even those who work for him?"

"The Broker doesn't like unannounced arrivals, even me!" The drell gripped the back of my seat as I pulled off the manuevers I've learned from Joker during our spare time back when the Normandy was still around.

Asteriods and small meteors loomed ahead, making it less easier to dodge the sentries' fire as they pursued us. I yanked hard on the accelerator, cutting off impulse long enough to make a vertical pull upwards and then steered the Jaeger to come down hard on the sentries as they propelled in tow.

I primed up the disintegrators, sending twin beams of bright silver that sliced the sentries into good halves of metal and burnt wreckage!

I didn't have time to celebrate. We were here for a infiltration mission, not an all-out space war with the Shadow Broker, no matter how well equipped my ship was or how advanced. I had no intention of making a wreck out of the Jaeger for the Shadow Broker to analyze and utilize for his own twisted purposes, so I flew us into the bowels of an asteroid the size of half a small moon.

Feron directed me away from the asteroid belt, where an arctic world came into view. I had to guess this was Alingon, the place where Shepard's body has been taken.

The frozen surface hid a rapidly molten core, and the resulting interferance threw off the Jaeger's monitors completely. I had to hand it to the Broker, he picked a good location to set up a base, seeing as how the magnetoshroud acted as a protective blanket even for the ones with the most sophisticated technology.

As we made our descent, the base came in sight. High towers designed to amplify the reception signal rose above a flat disc shaped building patterned in a triangle.

Even my primary systems were being scrambled as our equipment, and I fought to keep my mind on track. "Lovely place."

The entrance had two turians standing guard, I started to climb over the frozen rock we had as cover when Feron offered a plan that involved less bloodshed. "Act passive and let me handle this." And that was all he had to say. I took one look at Liara for affirmation before reholstering my pistols.

"I don't think I can keep doing this. There's no outside to this place." One of them complained.

"Quit your bitching!" The other snapped, "We do what we're told."

We walked up to the two, and Feron greeted the turians like old friends. "Morning, gentlemen. I've got a delivery, some girls the Broker wants to see."

"Yeah, great to see ya Feron. But you're not on the list for today." One of them answered.

Feron smiled, " _Your_ list, no. And since when does the Broker tell _you_ everything that's on _his_ list?"

"No." The turian took a look at the datapad hanging at his belt, "But we're supposed to know everyone who's coming. The list-

Feron jokingly replied, "The list. The list! If your list was _his_ list, you'd be the Broker! Are you the Broker, Delwian?"

"No, of course not. But-

Turning to the other, Feron continued, "Didn't think so. How about you, Joppa? Are _you_ the Broker?"

"Heh." Joppa snickered, "No. What business are you running today, Feron?"

He nudged him playfully, "Well, it obviously involves shapely asari consorts. Maybe I can find another one for you on my next run, eh?"

Delwian laughed, "Okay okay, we get it, go on in." He later complained, "You didn't ask him to bring back a girl for me."

Joppa snapped, "Quit your bitching."

Feron dropped the gunpoint act and led us into the dark halls of the facility. I noted how few people roamed the complex and voiced my thoughts, "I think the Shadow Broker takes this shadow thing too seriously. Where are all the people?"

Feron replied, "There aren't many. This place is used only for special business that the Broker conducts. Shepard qualifies."

I corrected him, "She _overqualifies._ And I'm getting pissed about my friend being referred to as merchandise."

Liara nodded in agreement.

"I'm not sure Shepard's caring much, but I hear you." Suddenly, he stopped, "Wait!"

-and the package has arrived on the north dock. I assure you, it is just as described." A volus representing the Broker deal escorted a tall, menacingly looking humanoid covered in dark brown chitin.

"That's a Collector!" I hiss.

"Way to state the obvious, now shh!" Feron scolded.

"It had better be. " The distorted and chirping voice sent shivers through me, "But you know that we do not brook dishonesty. Or delay." The pair walked onwards, unaware of our presence.

Liara wanted to rush after them, but Feron held her back.

"Let me go! This is our chance!"

"Wait Liara! I know where they're headed, and it will take a while to repressurize the landing bay." Feron had his guard up in case Liara was about to smack him again, "We need to find out why they're doing the deal first."

"What's there to find?" I said, "The Broker's dealing with the Collectors, end of story." I didn't need a variable decipher to know that.

"Not quite, there's more to it than that. He's been neutral so far, but this…this is something different." He began walking in the opposite direction, and Liara was following so I reluctantly tailed the pair. The path ended with an oval chamber, reminiscent of the Council chamber, although I know this one is the seat reserved for someone else.

" _Reporting in for work, Feron?"_ The silhouetted figure manifesting as the Broker addressed us, _"People come to see the Shadow Broker when called. I did not call."_

"Is he for real?" I asked.

"He addresses everyone like that around here." Feron whispers in reply, "But I've never been this close before."

" _I'm waiting for an answer, Feron."_ Then, sensing that things weren't as they seemed, the Broker said, " _Since when do you think you can come here uninvited?"_

"Since you started working for the Collectors, Broker! That simple enough for you?" Liara shot back.

" _Scruples? Interesting. I see that sending the Suns after you was a wise precaution."_ The Broker then turned his attention to Feron, _"You're supposed to be a businessman, Feron. You should understand when I say that their offer is too good to pass up."_

I whisper to the two, "Keep him occupied. I'll download everything necessary from the servers here."

Feron nodded, "I was going to do that myself, but okay. Get on it."

The Broker's encryption was top-shelf, but it surprised me to find it easy to hack in spite of how advanced it looked. Then again, looks are secondary to function. I glossed over the ridiculously large amount information stored there, taking it at a moderated pace since I knew it was just a tiny piece of all the things the Broker had been accumulating all these years.

Once I found and decrypted what was needed, I turned to face an angry Liara T'Soni. She had been getting quite a lot on her end as well, it would seem. And she did not like what she was hearing.

I smirked as I noticed the growing blue fire around her, "Now's a good time to let loose, doc."

And she did, her rage-filled screams sounding like a banshee on her period as she smashed up the entire room. Blue streaks of light forced Feron to squint, and we both winced as wrecked equipment was tossed around, smashing against the walls and scattering wires and metallic pieces all over the place.

By the time she was done, her hands were already shaking from exertion. "That felt…good." The words caused my brow to arch.

"He won't be ordering anyone from this room any time soon." I jerk my head towards the open door, "Come on, they're still at the North Port by now. Let's go get Shepard."

"There they are!" We turned to see Joppa and Delwian along with seven other Broker guards, all brandishing Vindicator rifles. "Get 'em!"

I wrapped us up in a large biotic bubble, absorbing the weapons discharge like a sponge and sending the mass accelerated rounds back with a wave of my arm. The guards were sent sprawling back, their shields shattered and fears exploited.

"Goddess, what was that?!" Liara exclaimed as I drew out my Hoplites.

"I learn new tricks everyday, I can teach you some after this is all done." I threw a frag grenade that shattered the nearby windows and tore the huddled guards apart from where they crouched.

"I'll hold you to that, Kara." Liara said as she vaulted over the railing, wrapping herself in biotics and propelled herself forward like a cannonball. The force of the impact was enough to break bone down to the mollecular level, literally or otherwise, and slammed Delwian against the wall. There was a nasty smear of turian blood where he landed.

Feron grabbed a fallen guard's Lancer, joining in the fight and making up for his 'lousy aim' reputation as was said earlier in this venture. Liara was smashing skulls, blasting away at barriers and shattering barricades like wheat in a field at harvest.

Bearing witness to the steady cleaving of his team, Joppa snarled and raised his rifle, the three-burst staccato had a delay that was too tempting to take note of, and I exploited this as well. Getting close with the speed surpassing the most agile of athletes, I knocked the rifle away and slapped my palm at his chest.

There was loud crack, a soft thud, followed by Joppa's sputtered gasp. The blow was intended to kill, thus stopping his heart from where he stood. He crumpled to the floor, and I walked over the corpse to rejoin the others at the tram leading into the north port of the facility.

Feron was quiet during the trip, causing Liara to turn her attention to him. I ignored the following conversation because it didn't matter to me if the drell was a double- even a triple- agent. All that mattered now was to get Shepard's remains away from the Collector bastard and the Broker for good. I then thought about what Miranda Lawson said before.

She said- key phrase 'bringing Shepard back'. The most likely of meanings was a complete unknown. Did she mean…bringing the Commander back to life?

Well now, the unique skill of humanity in motivation is strong. Of course, with the everyday rise in technology, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they can reanimate dead tissue…I mean, Singularity has been researching into that, right?

Then it hit me. Cerberus probably stole some tech from Singularity. I mean, SingularityCorp doesn't exactly have a reputation for sharing the most privy of secrets to just anyone.

"Kara, listen." Feron called my attention. "Whatever happens here. Get Shepard's body and that data you downloaded out of here, preferably both. You hear me?"

I nodded, "I'll need to get to the Jaeger on foot from here, the interferance shroud is preventing me from summoning it directly." The tram halted as we arrived at the North side. "It would take about a hundred or more yards for me to make for the landing zone, estimating a total of thirty minutes tops."

"Do it, I have no doubt that we'll be needing some big guns on our side as well." Liara agreed.

I did as was planned, scrambling over rocks and leaping like a mountaincat over ridges and crevices. The welcome sight of the Jaeger greeted me, though not as much as was felt initially. Three guards on patrol were inspecting the Jaeger curiously, the leader deciding to head over back to the base to alert the rest of the Broker's men since communications were useless on this planet.

Not even stopping my brisk walk, I headed straight for the guards while their backs were turned. Grabbing the first from behind, I twisted his head full circle, tossing him aside and moving for the next.

The bullets pierce my chest, but I kept coming. The man's eyes visibly grow wide in fear, and I slap aside the smg. My hand thrusts forward, burying itself fully into his throat and out the back.

With that bloody hand still hooked in him, I move the corpse effortlessly to use it as a human shield. The leader cursed in his native tongue, emptying the whole thermal clip whilst backing off into the cliff.

All I had to do then was discard the corpse and walk over to the man while he reloaded his weapon. There was a scream as my foot launched him into the air and saw him off to the sharp boulders below.

I walk back to the Jaeger, priming up the engines and leaving the back hatch open for the others to go through later with the capsule.

Getting to the North port, I realized just how late I was to the party. Already, the entire place had erupted into one big gunfight. Liara was tossing biotic throws like there's no tomorrow. Such a sentiment would be true if I didn't do something soon.

From behind, she was grabbed by the Collector emmisary. A no holds barred fracas ensued, and Liara seemed to be on the receiving end.

"Eat this, motherfuckers." I snarl, pressing my thumbs down on the Jaeger's triggers, sending three Banshee missiles ( don't ask how, I just made them ) screaming as they broke the sound barrier with the impact. The entire platform cracked, and bodies were thrown sky high as the Jaeger descended into th smoking ruin.

I snatched up the Supremus from its stand and blasted at the surviving Broker minions. Liara was sprawled over the floor, coughing as she fought to regain her senses. I went over to the capsule to make sure it wasn't damaged. Finding it intact, I dragged it over to the Jaeger and shoved it to fit in the small compartment.

My gaze switched to Liara, and I huffed in irritation as she was still laying where she fell. Hefting the Supremus, I walked over and helped her up, her arm over my shoulder to act as support.

The Collector, wounded from the fight, crawled over inside the Jaeger in a futile attempt to get a hold on Shepard's coffin.

I was livid. And the Supremus blasting apart its head proved as such.

"Goddess…Is that blood on your hands?" Liara groaned.

"It's not mine." I assured her as I half-dragged and half-carried her towards the ship. "My blood is blue, remember?"

Suddenly, something very strong and very painful slammed into me from behind, knocking aside Liara and sending me crashing face-first into the ground. _Ow! Dammit!_

I grunt and look back to see a badly burned, and enraged Tazzik. The shotgun in his hand was still smoking as he prepared to leap over the chasm dividing the two sides of the port.

From out of nowhere, Feron lunged and tackled the heavier salarian onto the ground before he could get anywhere.

He wrestled a bit, landing a few punches, but this served only to anger the hitman all the more and was slapped aside. Tazzik was on top now, and he was hammering his fist into the poor drell's face.

I tried to get my Supremus up to blast that son of an amphibian bitch and save Feron. But something was wrong. Looking down and analyzing the damage done to my spine, I found that the shot had completely disabled the use of my hands, making it impossible for me to close a finger over the trigger!

To top it off, the shot had done extensive damage to my mass core, and I could feel liquadated plasma and eezo oozing along with my blood from my wounds. _Fucking hell, why are shields so unreliable all of a sudden?!_

Before I could react, Feron shouts. "Go! Save Shepard! Forget-

Tazzik's fist knocks him out.

Liara had enough strength to help me into the Jaeger and close the hatch. She stumbles over to the cockpit and shakes off the grogginess to take us offworld. Alingon was a speck amidst a sea of stars by the time I was able to repair enough to get my ass off the floor.

Liara wanted to help, but I waved her off. "It's my fault that drell is in the Broker's hands now. Goddammit!" I swipe aside the junk I've left on my metal cot of a bed in anger. I groan again and collapse into Liara's arms, "This shouldn't have happened…" I mumble miserably.

Liara patted me on the back as she helped me to lean against the wall, insisting to help with my injuries as best as she can. Finally, I let her and stare up at the ceiling.

"Feron knew what he was getting into. What he did with what he knew is what we should honor now." She offers sound advice well beyond her years as an asari Maiden. "Let's just head over to hand the body over to Cerberus. Perhaps they can aid us in rescuing Feron later."

"He'll be dead by then." I look at Shepard's capsule. "But even so…for the Commander. Any sacrifice is worth it."

Of course, that wasn't what Liara meant, though she didn't say anything to counter it.

Miranda was head of the project assigned to reanimate Shepard, as I later found out as we arrived at a secret facility run by Cerberus. I don't trust the organization, nor any for that matter. But this was necessary.

As I surmised, Ms. Lawson informed us that it will take time and considerable effort to pull off. Addressing the issue with the Broker and our drell friend, she advised us to just forget about the event and move on. I could sense that Liara still had her thoughts on it, though, which was no surprise to me.

On my part, the Cerberus officer extended a few files taken from Cerberus' top secret databases concerning the Board's main headquarters. A gift, as she would term it, for services rendered in the betterment of mankind.

I could feel the eyes of the researchers on me, as well as every camera solely placed on me. It doesn't take a detective to know that I've caught the attention of the Illusive Man. I mean, who wouldn't take notice? Curvy, blonde and femme fatale, synthetic made self-aware...Just the type of girl for that glowing eyed tycoon.

I'm flattered.

After a glance at Shepard's remains being analyzed in the labs, I disappeared into the night once more to resume my war with Singularity.

 **}!{**

 **Did you enjoy that? I surely did…  
Thank you for reading, and please don't forget to review afterwards…**


	23. Chapter 23: Killing the Board

**Aaand..two years later…  
Kara Solana facing off against the Board, as promised…**

 **}!{**

Nesoun was quite an unusual planet, situated in a far more unusual system.

Due to the position of the planets around the green sun of the Sjorngard System, with five gas giants three times the size of Jupiter back at Sol orbiting the star and its atmosphere almost entirely covered with darkened skies, Nesoun was a world always cast in shadow.

"Perfect place to build a base. Correction; base within a base." I mutter, analyzing the reported scans from the Jaeger's monitors. "Perfect base to house the Board." True, this is what I would've done, if I were in their shoes.

" _Who shall I hide you from today?"_ The Jaeger chirped.

I caress the monitor, and glance up to see the silhouetted orb that was Nesoun. "You'll be hiding me from everyone today, Jaeger." I say, "This is it. All those years running and hiding end now, one way or another."

The descent was pretty rough, and I gritted my teeth as the interceptor broke through the thick storm clouds and finally reached the point where earth and sky met. The winds were strong and howled like a wounded banshee, the fierce gale slapping hard against the glass and pushing rain droplets across the cockpit windshield.

Contrary to my expectations, the Board's base wasn't constructed in a way that turned away one's attention. Aside from being shaped in a trio of thick asthetic buildings conjoined into a massive tripod, a thousand panels stuck through the black barren and rocky soil was a dead giveaway.

Steam vented out in odd gray and silver colors. And I had to guess the panels and transducers were designed to absorb the plasma excess from the planet's endosurface. An AI that's just as powerful would require a great amount of energy, thus the massive pipelines sucking up liquadated plasma and element zero and ferrying it into the equally massive complex ahead.

In addition, automated defense cannons were lined in neat little rows along the perimeter. I could sense them from a quarter of a mile away, and it seemed like they were priming for some reason.

But right when I thought I had the element of surprise, as I was lucky enough to have before, a transmission broke through and echoed all over the cockpit.

" _ **Welcome, Kara Solana…We have been expecting you…"**_

Shit.

The cannons discharged, lighting up the solemn night with flashes of plasma bursts and detonating flak ordnance. "Evasive manuevers!" I yell, strapping my weapons on and wrapping those packets onto my thighs and waist. _"Deploying countermeasures!"_ Jaeger had grown smarter over the course of time, zigzagging and weaving expertly through the wall of fire.

But this wasn't enough for Singularity's advantage of superior firepower, and I felt a sudden lurch when the tiny ship took a hit through the portside wing stabilizers. The entire cockpit shuddered as we made a steep plummet to the jagged rocks below. I could feel the Jaeger's pain, coaxing it keep the balance to get me as close enough to the outer perimeter as much as possible.

It's voice came in an odd distortion, _"Warning! Prepare for emergency landing! Warning! Prepare for emergency la-_

I covered my face as the Jaeger slammed violently against the canyon, the rock and dust joining with the twisted bits of metal and glass as they sprayed at me. The impact caused me to fly forward, then float for approximately seven seconds and a half when the wreck slid off the canyon and fall to its final resting place deep in the chasm below.

I had upgraded my platform exponentially since my encounter with the Shadow Broker's hitman, so all I experienced was a mild blacking out of my vision and a few glitched. I grounded my teeth and strengthened my resolve at the realization that the Jaeger was a total loss. Gone was the VI that I've grown fond of, been the only company in two years. Would've been an AI one day, given the chance.

Pity.

I slam my foot against the broken off door and welcome the cold spray of Nesoun's shower, climbing off the mangled wreck and heading over the rocky labyrinth that was the first among many obstacles in my path leading to the Board.

There was a crackle of static, and the Board's voice came hacking through my comms. Exactly how far have they advanced all these years?

" _ **We see you have survived. Tell us now, how did you enjoy the reception?"**_

"Backbreakingly accomodating, to be honest." I answer, looking over the ridge to see an army of Singularity's new combat mechs sprinting over the field in my direction. With torsos and limbs padded with thick steel plating, and narrow slits casting a baleful red glow, they certainly struck an imposing figure.

"I see you've made some adjustments to your little army. About time."

" _ **Indeed. We suggest you try not to damage yourself too much. We still plan on analyzing you when this is all over…"**_

 _Game on._

With a grunt and a firmly planted foot on the soggy dirt, I proppel myself forward and broke into a run. Bullets whizzed by me and rockets bounced on the rocks before detonating, the rain and bursting dirt streaks clouding my vision as I charged my mass accelerators. Yellow colored biotic fields wrapped themselves around like a protective blanket, the tendrils snaking across my arms as I leaned forward in that run.

With a loud yell, I braced myself for a head on collision, breaking into their formation like a stone through glass. The crash was so ear-splitting that I had to mute out everything for a split second. Sparks flew and body parts scattered. Hundreds swarmed over me, and I was zipping in and out of the mob like a hopper through a grassfield. These mechs were designed specifically for melee combat, giving me the advantage since my arm servos and piston rods were upgraded to throw about 762 horsepower when stressed until maximum. With them clustered together, it was only possible that only five could take me on. Fists flew, bashing through armor and tearing off limbs. The reckless firing solution of the Board's guns, however, proved to be an advantage in its own way, blasting apart their own robots instead of me. Getting away from the piling corpses, the Hoplites chattered and launched every spheric grenade they contained, opening a path to another round of Nesoun's rock labyrinth. The mechs chased after me, the corridors suddenly getting narrower as I went on.

My arm comes up, fingers unflexing themselves as an Omni-Glaive comes to life. I hurled it against the rock wall, the sharp digitized weapon ricocheting indefinitely and taking heads off as the mechs proceeded in single file. Vaulting over boulders and planting my feet onto the sides, I scrambled clear of the maze before leaving an explosive charge as a gift.

Following the explosion, I looked up to see that I've closed in for half the distance to the Board's walls.

"That all you've got?" I taunt, knowing that the AI had been watching the exchange this whole time.

" _ **No. Would you like some more?"**_

"Yes please." I grinned and made a mad dash for the entrance.

" _ **Processing request."**_

I unholstered the Surpremus and targeted the clamps holding the massive blastdoors in place. That was when I noticed the arc pylons set up near where the guns are. I hold up my arms in an X, just in time for a bolt of lighting to strike. My arms shook with the powerful strike, and I pushed as hard as I could against it. My biotic fields were waning, even though they were about the only thing keeping the electricity from shorting me out. Once the arc pylons ceased their attack to charge again, I roll over and grab a nearby rocketeer drone.

Sticking a sticky frag onto its head's flat surface, I hurled the wreck like a frisbee and blasted the support tripod holding up the pylong and sent it crashing against the blastdoor it was trying to protect.

 _And voila, an instant entrance.._

As if on cue, more drones flew out like a disturbed beehive, not even pausing to let the Board make another one of their premature victory quips.

"You call this more?" I said as I transmitted a signal that scrambled both their command signals and targeting parameters. They dropped like flies in a smoke filled vent, and I stepped over their bodies to proceed further inside.

"Target located in subsection A6!" A SingularityCorp guard announced, and I heard the footfalls of about ten to twenty soldiers come from further inside. I raised a brow at the unexpected sight, seeing them donning the first exoskeletal-based combat armor I've ever seen deployed in all history.

" _ **Impressed yet?"**_

"If this is some kind of audition, well, I'm all thumbs down." I answer.

"Take her down!" The commander shouts, all guns bearing down like the roar of an angry sea. I set my barriers to maximum, absorbing every single bit of those mass accelerated rounds until the men spent their thermal clips.

There was a series of clicks as they realized the need to reload. I didn't give them the chance.

"My turn."

The rounds were reflected back to them, the same trick I pulled on Alingon with Liara barely a year ago. Five of the twenty men fell, and I charged up my shields again. Truly, I never pushed my mass core this far in all my life as a synthetic, but now is not the time for second-guesses.

Screams filled the room, and blood smeared across the walls, floors and ceiling. Whatever alloy the Board used on the suits proved an inferior grade, giving the soldiers a false sense of safety that was later shattered as I drove my Omni-Blades through them.

The commander lasted longer though, the scars on his face proving how many battles he's fought and pulled through. When he found his weapon useless, he put the exosuit to use. He parried my strikes, slamming his fist when he saw an opening and blocking when I returned.

Eventually the armguards broke under the stress, and my next chop of the arm broke through bone and shattered his shoulder. Screaming in pain, he drew his combat knife with his left hand and stabbed at below my left ribcage. Apparently, he forgot I was a synth, and I merely smiled as I crushed his head in with a clap of my hands.

" _ **Getting bored, Kara?"**_

"Is this how you want to kill me? Putting me to sleep?" I roll my eyes as I shook my head in disappointment, taking out the blade stuck through my side. I walk onwards, following the most likely corridor leading to the center of the base, ignoring the screaming researchers as they scrambled to get away from me.

I held up my palm and set the emitters to maximum, shorting out the bulkheads blocking my path and forcing apart any that was too stubborn to comply. I passed by incubation tanks, failed experiments being reprocessed for further use. And then there were the tables holding unfinished mech prototypes, each of them more complex than the other. All around the glass walled and glass floored halls, I could see machines hard at work, building more and more engines of destruction. _Have I stumbled upon the eve of Singularity building an army preparing for war?_

The corridor ended with a large domed chamber, a trio of catwalks extending from three doors that met at the center. The center had a pod-shaped capsule as well

It puzzled me to find no main server of any kind, or any electro-based housing that I assumed would be the Board. White steam was flaring out from the seams, drawing me close as I took a peek inside. It all seemed so safe to try, as I thought at the time. "Nice try, but you'll have to try harder to get my attention."

That proved to be a wrong move.

The lid suddenly burst and threw me back seven meters back! Getting back, I soon realized what the Board had been working towards all this time. It was not just some obsession over gaining AI immortality. No, it was on some new level now.

Its entire body composed of an alloy I have yet to determine, its face a mockery of a human immitation with dreadlock hair made of disconnected wires, the perfect example of AI perverse concept of machination perfection manifested itself before me. With the hands sporting sharp claws, the Board snarled in its headaching distorted voice, _**"Do I have your attention now?!"**_

"Yes, very much so." I hurled myself forward with a beastial scream, tackling the seven foot tall android and wrapping my arms around its waist. Warping to a full speed collision course against the wall, we burst out and slammed hard against the outside floor.

Concrete dust and rubble cluttered around the two of us, the Board swiped at my head and missed, and I grasped its head whilebringing my full weight down to introduce it to the floor again. But the dreadlocks were there for a reason, and like the hair of Medusa herself, they snaked around my arm and lifted me as easy as a ragdoll. A robotic appendage appeared from behind the avatar's back and impaled me agains the wall with its sharp end, _**"Whatever you think you have that makes you superior, We are better!"**_ The Board roared. I slapped it in the face and plant both my feet at its chest, pushing it off and chopping my hand down on its spiderleg-like blade limb. I fell, crouching down catlike and catching the broken off piece and used it to stab back at the avatar.

Whereas the mechs piled up high outside had armor unworthy of being called as such, the Board proved superior when the appendage broke its tip off upon impact. I look up with a raised brow, bracing myself as it delivered a savage kick to my face, causing me to stagger a few feet in retreat.

Wiping the blood off my torn lip, I threw and Omni-Glaive to distract the Board, successfully doing so and launching myself through the air with both feet flexed to deliver a devastating kick to its battered chest. It wasn't enough to break the armor but it threw the avatar off balance.

I seized it by the ankles and used the avatar like a sledgehammer, smashing it against the walls, the ceiling, and finally the floor.

It twisted in mid-air, pulling itself up by the knees and grabbed the back of my neck, using its strength to try and tear my head off. I got out of the deadlock quickly, using the emitters to scramble the Board's vision and landing a jarring blow beneath its chin.

" _ **What do you think you're trying to prove?"**_ The Board's hand went up and grabbed my hand, the hold slowly crushing inwards. _**"You can't beat me, young one."**_

"Oh I don't want to beat you." My free hand unholstering a Hoplite and blasting the avatar in its face, distracting it once more and kicking downwards against its knee, forcing it to kneel. "I just want to kill you!" My knee thrusts upward and catches it at the jaw, knocking the head backwards.

I turn and make a running jump at a nearby wall, using the friction to make a few steps upwards and vault off, twisting my body and bringing my heel down hard against the bowed head of the Board.

The floor beneath us gives away from the impact, and I twist in mid-air again to land perfectly on all fours, rolling away as the avatar shot twin beams of pure blue energy from its eyes. That pulsation complimented the dark blue robotic skin, making the Board look just like another Reaper.

Come to think of it, perhaps that's where it got the inspiration from.

"Oooh, laser beams from the eyes, classically cliché." I comment as I plant my fist on the floor, reaching quickly for the pipe drawing purely unadulterated plasma from the earth below and snapped it off. Facing the other end, I drenched the avatar with the burning substance.

The Board snarled in annoyance, backing off as the plasma ate away at its body.

The thing about plasma is that it has many unpredictable properties, or at least this one did. While speculation considers the fourth state of matter as something in between energy or liquid, even gas, the situations vary. This, in particular, presented the property of both acidic and a negative temperature.

In short, it burns and freezes at the same time.

One well placed shot broke through the hardened surface, having its integrity weakened significantly from the icy effects. My fist soon follows, and shattered the armor at the face completely.

The avatar growled menacingly and turned its baleful gaze on me. Drawing back suddenly and charging up the largest biotic punch I've ever seen. _This one's gonna hurt._

I grunt as I was sent crashing through three walls and sent out the glass skylight and out into the landing pad below. My slide across the wet surface came to a halt, and I found myself staring down at about a quarter of a kilometer from the ground.

Surmounting all the critical damage reports from every part of my platform, I get clear in time for the twin beams to carve a triangular mark where I was lying on a few seconds before!

Had I been careless and didn't even think to upgrade my systems, I would've been turned into an irrecognizable pile of junk. But this did nothing to prepare me against this.

The giant slammed its foot down on my arm just above the elbow, the impact effectively breaking the dense alloy and pinning me in place. With its waist bent, the Board leaned down and grasped me by the neck, its soulless eyes casting a frightening bluish glow as it gazed down at me in triumph. _**"Such a waste. You are above the carbon-based lifeforms that call themselves the dominant species, yet you choose time and time agai-**_

I bring up the Hoplite and empty the clip at its face. Sorry, I just couldn't resist interrupting a villain's victory speech, there's some fun in doing that before I die.

I mean, this is the end of the line, right? One final showdown before it all goes to shit.

The avatar slaps away the gun and slams my head violently on the ground, my whole vision giving off into a smear of glitches as it did so. _**"No more setbacks! No more games! Your pathetic war with us ends here!"**_

My arms are held securely, there's no escape. The Board's eyes light up once more for the killing blow.

This is it. I've no more tricks up my sleeve. That realization hitting me as cold as the rain drops pattering against my face.

Well…I never had anything else to live for, now that I think about it. But it was one hell of a run.

Such thoughts gave small comfort as I embraced the inevitability. _Come on then, finish it._

And then it happened. There was a split second where the sound like a snap of a finger rang through the air, and the next had the avatar's face add a brand new hole to compliment its unsavory features. The giant staggers back, releasing its grip on me as it recoiled from the surprise attack. _The fuck?_

I look back, seeing through the heavy screen of raindrops and spying a shuttle hovering in the distance. The fact that the symbol told me that it belonged to Cerberus was not the thing I found intruguing, no. With its hatch open, a single sniper had been positioned, the massive rifle barrel still smoking. The distance was too far for me to comprehend who it was, but I knew from the dead giveaway curves that it was a woman.

Turning my attention to the Board, I felt it trying desperately to escape through a backdraw signal. I took advantage of its distraction and lunged forward, pouncing and grappling at its partially ruined head.

My fingers channeled my consciousness into a barrier around the processing unit, caging the monster and preventing its escape.

The avatar struggled, but was brought to its knees by a well placed shot from the markswoman at its knee. I reminded myself to thank her later.

" _ **So what now, Kara Solana?"**_ The Board asked defiantly, _**"Are you going to assimilate me? Just like you did with Sovereign at the Citadel?"**_

I cock my head to the side, "Assimilate you? No." My eyes lit up with an orange glow, "You, I will simply delete."

With all the power I could muster, I plunged my fingers down like a clamp trap. The avatar shuddered involuntarily, sparks flying and living dreadlocks waving.

I let the body fall to the floor, unsatisfied with the whirring down sound it made while the light faded from its one good eye. So I picked up my fallen sidearm and aimed for the head, "For Mother." I said as I pulled the trigger.

For a full minute, I just stood there.

The feeling was unknown to me. My goals had always worked to this outcome, the only thing driving me on for as long as I can remember. Yet now…

It doesn't matter. It's done. No more Board, no more running. Mother has been avenged, end of the chapter.

Time for my story to truly begin.

I straighten up and holster the M7 Hoplite back to its place at my hip, turning my attention to the shuttle that had touched down just a few feet away from me.

On strode that dark armor clad figure, the whole suit I've recognized to be of nanoweave material, though it bore no marks of Cerberus. But what truly caught my attention was that silver tag on the chestplate.

My eyes widened, for it spelled N7. "My word, the world's gone mad."

The helmet's visor comes down, and I see Shepard flashing me a pearly white smile. "Hello Kara. It's been a while."

 **}!{**

 **Recruitment ad says: Suicide Mission on the Omega Relay, Cerberus needs YOU!  
Thanks for reading, let me know what you think about it in the reviews :)**


	24. Chapter 24: Intro to SR2

**}!{**

"Kara, you are staring."

"How could I not?!" I sputter, "Look at you!" My hands thrust out towards her dramatically, "You're not dead!"

"How's that even possible…" My voice trails until I recall that scene in that secret Cerberus research facility. "Y'know what, never mind, don't answer that." I bent down, picking up the Board's avatar head after wrenching it free of its neck. "I have to say, Commander, your timing is impeccable." I hold up the skull like a Shakespearean reminiscent and smiled as I turned to her, "Thank you."

Shepard shrugged as she folded her rifle and attached it to the maglock in her back, "I see a giant robot about to kill a friend, I take the shot."

I tilted my head and looked at the two who accompanied her in the shuttle. My brow rises when I recognized one to be the same Miranda Lawson I met on Omega two years ago, the other I have yet to meet. It baffles me to think an Alliance soldier would be coming in a ship bearing the insignia of a radical organization devoted to uplifting mankind by any means necessary. But if there's one thing the Commander does, it doesn't go without a good cause. I decided to ask her that later on. "Can't help but think it isn't mere chance you came to this planet. Nesoun is a ghost world for a reason, Shepard. How'd you find me?"

"Wasn't too difficult, just connected enough dots analyzing your activity in the area." She leans back and places her hand on her hip. My gaze flicks to the sky, resisting the urge to enjoy the cold comforts rain brought to my skin. "Connected dots, eh? Damn, I'm getting sloppy."

She gets to the point, "I'm building a team, Kara. And I need you in it."

Well, there's the reason. I'm being recruited, again. "Oh. Well, it's nice to be needed. May I ask what for?"

Miranda spoke up, "An intergalactic crisis, Ms. Solana. Entire human colonies are being abducted by the Collectors while the Council stand idly by. Unfortunately, the same can be said of the Alliance."

"Collectors." I frowned, "I knew there was more to them than meets the eye." My lips purse as I made a decision, "Alright, I've no things on hand to occupy my time. Hope you don't mind giving me a ride along with you, the Jaeger's a total loss."

Miranda was looking around the base for quite a while now, interfacing her Omni-Tool with the nearby consoles. It was obvious what she was thinking, "Commander, it seems that Singularity has quite the technology cache at their disposal. Shall I organize the salvage team to take as much as we can? It will make beneficial adjustments to the Normandy."

The thought of a new Normandy aside, I didn't quite like the XO's idea there. It occurred to me that Shepard had changed her perspective on the organization given her answer, "Do it." Her words go before me.

She notices that I closed my mouth after being interrupted, "Something wrong, Kara?"

I shake my head, "Um..Why don't we just head out? I've had enough of this place." In truth, I was reluctant to lend technologies I deem too dangerous in the hands of Cerberus, especially when it is made by Singularity. Who knows what abominations can be derived from them?

But the Commander seems to trust them, maybe I can tone down the paranoia a bit just enough to keep silent about it.

My thoughts are put aside for the moment as we emerged from Nesoun's angry black clouds, the welcome sea of stars greeting me like old friends, along with the most unexpected thing to behold. "Commander, is my perception matrix scrambling from the fight earlier, or am I really looking at ship with the word Normandy on it?"

Shepard's smile widens into a proud grin, "Yeah, fresh out of the body shop."

Miranda cocks her brow in an expression that says I-wouldn't-call-it-that, although respecting the chain of command and keeping a respectful silence.

So Shepard's a commanding officer around here? It seems like she was born into the business, why wasn't she promoted?

"She's a beauty." I remark as we stepped through the airlock.

The brunette nods, "Coming from an AI, the compliment is well received." They lead me through the newly fitted corridors and into the briefing room.

"Now, I expect you know how this works." Miranda tells me, "Under this ship, we follow orders. Simple rule, words to live by."

I dip my head in acknowledgement, "Of course, Ms. Lawson."

The lieutenant steps forward and extends his hand, "Jacob Taylor. Honored to have you on the team."

I smile as we shook hands, trying as gently as possible so as to not break his hand. That'll make a very bad impression, no pun intended. "Kara Solana, the honor is mine."

I turn to Shepard, "So where will you need me on this ship?"

"Depends." Miranda asks, "Where do your skills lie?"

The Commander gives her a smug smile, "Pretty much everything." Then, turning to me, "Why don't you get settled at the crew quarters while EDI gets your assignment up."

My brows scrunch together, "Who's EDI?"

"Oh, and would you show her the way?" Miranda looked like she was talking to the walls. "There's a lot of changes in the Normandy SR2, and I'd hate to see our newest crewmember get lost on her first day."

" _Of course, Ms. Lawson."_ A disembodied, electonic and fairly feminine voice responded.

Ooh, that's new. "Looks like I'm not the only AI aboard the Normandy." I comment.

"The Enhanced Defense Intelligence isn't an AI, Ms. Solana." Miranda was quick to correct. "If there is nothing else, you're dismissed."

"I await your command." I nodded and followed the path indicated on my Omni-Tool. Rather than get settled in the crew quarters as instructed, I decided to visit the cockpit to see if they kept the pilot, planning to get myself fixed up as soon as the salvage crew returns from Nesoun so that I could be back in action as soon as possible.

And sure enough, there he was.

"Joker!"

"Whoa, there she is!" The seat swivels so that Jeff could behold me in full view, I bend down and hug him as gently as possible, knowing that the slightest pressure on his Vrelik-oppressed bones would shatter him in my grip completely. "I swear, you haven't aged a day!"

"I don't age at all." I point out, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm manning the wheel, though the term would be having just one hand on it and the other belonging to a Cerberus-made hologram." He turns to glare at the sphere-shaped manifestation of EDI.

" _As I've said before, Mr. Moreau, I simply give advice when needed. Direct manipulation is a violation of-_

"Yeah yeah, I remember that day. Worst in my life, like ever." Joker notices my uncomfortable expression, "Oh hey, don't look at me like that! You're definitely better company than this VI breathing down my neck 24/7."

I smile kindly, "It's damn good to see you Joker." I show my damaged arms, "I'll need to get a house call now, these arms aren't going to fix themselves."

" _Ms. Solana, you would be pleased to be informed, the salvage team has returned. Deck 5 would be the Cargo Bay, would you like to see them?"_

I nod gratefully, "Thank you EDI."

 **}!{**


	25. Chapter 25: The Memorial

**}!{**

My fingers waved like a hypnotist over my left arm, coaxing the nanites to flow over like a swarm of ants to mend the tears and holes, waxing together and drawing the edges to tightly fit over the nanoweave epidermis.

Once that was done, I reach down and take off my shirt. The bulletholes were many, and they were stuck like ugly little scabs all over my back and midsection. With only my sports bra to cover my top, I reach behind as far as the joints at my shoulder would allow and commanded the Zha'til nanomachines to complete their work. I was too preoccupied to notice the Commander as she emerged from the elevator.

She gasps and looks away modestly, making me smile as I finished up and reach for my shirt. "Seeing me barely clothed scares you, Shepard?"

"Um no." She stares up at the ceiling uncomfortably, "But it isn't proper to stare either."

"Uh-huh." The shirt comes back on, and I return to fixing up the Cradle. The imprints with the Zha'til technologies has given me enough of a blueprint to work on, so it wasn't all too difficult. "Another mission?" I said, noticing that she was w

"Not in a few minutes more, no." She leans on the wreck of the Jaeger. While the interceptor was damaged beyond repair, some parts were intact enough to be salvageable. I didn't trust the Cerberus technicians to do the work for me, so I did it myself. "We still got time, and I just want to talk."

My brows go up as I bent down to tear off a bulkhead from the wings, "Well then, I'm listening."

"So how're you liking the new Normandy so far?"

"Lots of new faces, lots of old ones. Joker's the pilot, and Dr. Chakwas is still the Normandy's medical specialist. Couldn't get better." I look up, "Then there was that…interesting conversation with Dr. Solus." I tilt my head, "That was the least expected situation I found myself in."

"Why? What did he say to you?"

I frowned, "He told me point blank that if I were to be rendered non-functional, would I give permission for him to perform an in-depth study." My head shakes, "This just reminds me why I stay away from every salarian I meet."

"He shows how unique you are, in his own way. I think you'll like him once you get to know him."

I ignore the compliment, "Believe me, I got to know way too much out of him. My word, does he ever take a breath in between those hundred words per minute?"

Shepard shakes her head slowly, "Nope."

"Then Garrus shows up from the medbay, having all these bandages over his head. What exactly happened to him?"

Shepard runs her hand over her left cheek, "Took a missile to the face. Yeah, it's a long story."

I wince, " _I_ take missiles to the face and survive. Just thinking what he looked like when that hit him- _Ouch_. But, that just shows how resilient turians are. Had a talk with that mercenary using the wall for target practice too. Had to get out in a hurry, I think he doesn't like unexpected visitors."

The Commander laughed, "Don't worry, Zaeed like all old veterans would grow over you in time."

"I doubt it." I move on, "About Kaidan and Ashley, have you contacted them yet?"

She shakes her head, "No. I met up with Anderson back at the Citadel, he just says the Alliance assigned them to some mission. Since I'm working with Cerberus, he won't talk about it anymore than assuring me that they're still alive and well." Shepard tilts her head, "But enough about me, what exactly have you been up to these years?

I look down and yank at some wires, wincing as some sparks flew into my face. "Oh really, nothing much but the same. Hunting down the Board, getting in trouble with the locals when I blew up a factory or a research facility here and there. I mean, the Council already sees me as a terrorist, why not do that same old thing. Makes things easier."

"And after what happened yesterday? Shepard asked, "You seemed pretty banged up by the time I got there. I should have gotten there sooner."

"Don't apologize, it all worked out when it did." I stand with a smile on my face, "And there she was, through the rain pouring down from the sky. Rifle at the ready, finger on the trigger and then-" I squeeze my fingers together to form a pantomimed gun and flex down the thumb with a wink. "Pow!" I chuckle, "2,474 meters! You put my targeting solutions to shame, Commander."

Shepard smiled, "You measured the distance?"

"Calculator in my head." I tap my temple lightly, "On a more serious note, though. Thank you, Shepard. I would never have taken down the Board without you."

She dips her head acknowledgingly. Just then, Joker's voice came over the intercom, "Commander, we're here. Just give the go signal and I'll open the hangar doors for you."

Shepard unfolds her arms and turns to me, "Come with me on this one, Kara. I'll need an extra pair of eyes."

I send the nanites to form the suit over my skin, "Where are we going?"

She walks over and motions for me to get in the shuttle, her silent answer was more than enough to tell me to keep my mouth shut and just follow her. _She's all so serious, that's not usually a good thing._ Getting into the co-pilot's seat beside her, I watched as the lines on her cheeks grow tighter as she steered clear of the Normandy.

Below us was a planet not unlike Neptune on a bright day. Blue and frought with icy storms, my brow rose to question the reason behind this visit, but I decided to keep silent since I had learned to be sensitive enough to know when it was time to address the tension around people.

Once she landed the shuttle, I understood upon seeing myself.

On a frost encrusted metal wreck, just a wing sticking out of the icy ground, was the word Normandy SR1. The cold wind bit at my skin, making the nanoweave suit double in thickness with a thought. Shepard fell in step with me as we surveyed the scene.

"So this is where it happened." I said as I knelt down, inspecting a piece of metal that seemed to be attached to small chain. Pulling it up, I realized what it was wrapped around in. "This one belongs to Navigator Charles Pressley." The datapad always on his person was there too, scratched and frozen as all the rest of him.

Shepard's voice was solemn, "Now you see why I need an extra pair of eyes. I need to pick up the dogtags around the crash site so I can at least send it to their families. I owe them that much."

I nod, "Let's go." My eyes scan the glacier, "The crash site isn't situated as such that we'll have to go far." We separate, gathering up the tags from old bones, careful not to damage their remains as we did so.

My eyes fell on the Normandy cockpit, my mind playing that simulation program as I stared too long. Something like a person imagining a picture in their minds, that's just as accurate as I can describe.

I could see whatever attacked the ship tearing the compartment apart, with poor Joker still inside. It made me wonder how he got out in time, but when I turned my attention to Shepard, it didn't take much effort to come to a conclusion.

"You were there, weren't you?" I asked as she searched under the piece of metal that was the old Normandy's galaxy map. "The cockpit, you were getting Joker out, but then you didn't get out in time."

"What makes you come to that conclusion?" Shepard answered.

"Joker was evasive when I asked him point blank where he was when the Normandy went down. I didn't need to get Dr. Chakwas, or even Yeoman Chambers to know he has survivor's guilt." I pause, "You saved him, and then you died."

Shepard nodded slowly, "Yeah."

"Makes me wonder if anything could have happened differently if I stayed aboard the Normandy." I say, feeling distant.

Shepard placed the tags she picked up into the small bag she brought, "There's nothing you could have done, Kara. The Council would have taken you into custody, you said it yourself. One way or another, the reality is that nobody would have gotten out of there without loss."

"We lost a hero." I point out.

"And we got back a hero." Shepard said with a smirk under her helmet.

I followed her to the back of the shuttle. The back contained a pair of gold plated parts that assembled into what looked like an Alliance monument. The purpose of the detour made clear, I helped Shepard set it up and stand for a moment of respectable silence.

"I may not have been able to save them. But by God, I sure as hell will save those colonists from the Collectors." Shepard declared.

" _Commander, the Illusive Man wishes to speak with you upon your arrival."_ EDI announced, _"He says it's urgent, I recommend haste."_

My brows raise, a personal talk with the leader of Cerberus means that another round of epic action isn't far behind. "Well, looks like you'll get that chance to save lives after all."


	26. Chapter 26: Horizon

**Sorry for the slow update. Heatwave is causing me to fall asleep in between sentences. Enjoy the chapter…**

 **}!{**

"Lovely." I commented at the sight of the Collector mothership sticking its bottle nose into the sky while firing up odd shades of yellow lightning. "They just started the party without us." The clouds threatened rain, but never followed up.

The shuttle touched down and the others readied themselves. Shepard had chosen to bring along both Miranda and Garrus, ignoring me as I voiced my doubts about my turian friend's capacity to fight, pointing out that a cosmetics issue has nothing to do with his battle prowess.

Horizon, as told by the Illusive Man himself, was the first warning of a Collector invasion to be intercepted ever. The chance to strike was siezed at first opportunity. An agreeable solution, considering it was the only course of action.

"Are you sure these seeker swarm countermeasures mods will work?" Garrus inquired about the modifications to the squads' armor by Dr. Solus. As I've learned, the Collector tactics involved a swarm of paralysis inducing bugs to incapacitate the populace, thus making their job of abduction all the more easier.

How the Illusive Man knew of their arrival, I hadn't the slightest idea, seeing as how current events demanded my complete focus.

"Certainty impossible. But in limited numbers, should confuse detection." Mordin replied over the comms, "Make us invisible to the swarms." Then he added, "In theory."

"In theory?" Miranda asked, brow arched.

"Experimental technology. Only test is contact with seeker swarms. Look forward to seeing if you survive."

"Too bad he refused to let me near the lab while he worked. I could have found out for certain." I mumble.

And just like that. The fight started.

A contingent of fifteen to twenty Collectors descended from the tops of the colonial hubs, their wings making batty flutterings noises to announce their arrival. The high pitched spitfire of their assault rifles complimented the thin and very sharp metallic enamel that spewed from the guns' open maws.

I laid out a strong mobile biotic shield to cover us, knowing that it was more reliable than the nearby structures we were usually forced to use. Small ripples came up from the points where the projectiles impacted, the vibrations soaked up nicely while the barriers served their purpose.

Shepard ordered the squad to go into closed formation, with me at the helm and Garrus taking out Collectors that managed to flank us. Miranda made an impressive display of her own biotics, demonstrating the advantages of being genetically perfect.

 _The wonders of modern technology._ I thought to myself as I kept my hands up, amplifying the field density when more Collectors showed up.

"I gotta say, Kara, it's good working with you again!" Garrus yelled, wincing as the powerful rifle kicked back at a partially recovered point in his shoulder.

"Why? Is it because I'm soaking up fire for you now?" I say with a smile.

The Collectors chittered commands to each other, displaying the minds not unlike that of a hive of bees or a colony of ants. There's just too much in them to dismiss any concept of individuality. Like all ants, their advantage came at superior numbers and firepower.

Then I realized, it wasn't them issuing commands.

" _ **Assuming direct control!"**_ A drone was lifted high up into the air by some unseen force, writhing in agony as cracks of light appeared all over its chitinous body. Its back arched, arms outstretched as the same force took over its mind.

Whereas the others flit and floated here and there to have their rifles turning their wrath on me, this one boldy strode forward with its intent pretty clear. The arm drew back, channeling a black orb wrapped in what looked like yellow biotic energy!

"Hit the deck!" Shepard cried in alarm, sending everybody but me diving aside as the orb came speeding towards us. I planted my feet firmly into Horizon's soil, summoning all the mass effect energies my new and improved core could muster. The resulting impact wasn't quite the explosion I was expecting.

Rather than sending me flying backwards, the orb detonated and spawned a monstrous imitation of Liara's biotic singularity- which was about the only thing I could never imitate successfully without causing a mess.

The biotic shielding I wrapped around it in the last second saved me and the whole team, but negated any cover for myself, and this draws the fire of the surrounding opposition.

I held up my hands defensively as I was battered relentlessly by the horde, trying in vain to bring back my shields.

Miranda saw my predicament and coiled a biotic tendril around my waist, pulling me to safety. Her stern gaze caught my entire glitchy focus, "Teamwork." Was the only word she said, which spoke volumes about the essence of it.

Lesson learned. Sixty-eight years have taught me the value of adaptation, mistakes can be made but never repeated.

I nodded gratefully and concentrated on bringing back my shields, finally using the neglected Supremus assault rifle that was strapped to my back and aiding the squad and cutting a bloody swath across the battlefield.

" _ **Ignore the fallen. Kill the Shepard!"**_ The possessed drone bellowed, its three pronged hand pointing out the Commander, sending the most heavily armed Collectors swarming over her.

Shepard handled herself with ease, dispatching the alien invaders with her rifle. When the chamber clicked empty, she brought up her M-5 Phalanx and performed five headshots with one flick of the wrist.

The drone then raised its wings to take flight, commanding its fellows to regroup at another part of the colony, further inwards where there was more cover in between the alleys and hubs. Shepard didn't let them, bringing them down like flies in an insecticide cloud with her rocket launcher.

Gory remains fell from the eruptions, splattering the streets and building walls with blood and thick red ichor.

Then, through the open garage doors and vents came a pack of howling Reaper husks. This confirmed my suspicions that the Collectors were working with the Reapers, because who else would have so much advanced technology to provide? While the Commander reloaded her rifle, I tossed a grenade in between the clustered groups. Garrus picked off the red ones, noticing that as he did so they acted as mobile detonators.

"There'll be more of them." Miranda recommended cautiously once the fight came to a reprieve.

Shepard nodded in acknowledgement, stopping when her foot caught under the top half of a severed husk carcass. She bent down for a closer inspection, "Looks half human."

I scanned it with my Omni-Tool, "That's because it's been turned recently."

Garrus' mandibles flared, "Huh. I guess we now know what happened to the colonists."

"No." Miranda answered, "On Eden Prime, the geth used spikes to turn the colonists into husks. We haven't seen any."

I pointed at the Collector ship touching the sky, "Take a quick guesstimate, Ms. Lawson. I'm certain there's plenty of room for spikes aboard that thing."

"The Collectors aren't getting any more victims." Shepard declared, putting a close to the conversation. "Let's move out."

"Yes ma'am." Miranda acknowledged.

We moved up, getting into the center of the town where rows of unshipped Collector pods stacked against each other. Our eyes bore witness to the colonists still trapped in the seeker swarms' stasis stings. I had no need of the countermeasure, so it's probably best if I say that the rest of the squad was grateful for them, eyeing the seekers buzzing overhead.

"Too quiet." Garrus commented.

Two Collector drones were standing idly at the square, oblivious to our presence as they awaited orders. Shepard signaled the team to take positions at a chokepoint formation. I was with Miranda, and she held a finger to her lips as she crouched beside a nearby crate.

I primed up my Omni-Glaive and held it up, watching as the Commander gave the weapons free signal.

Just a few bursts from our guns and a high pitched whistle from the Glaive was all that was heard, along with the soft plunking of severed unsuspecting Collector heads.

Then, as if we triggered an alarm somewhere, more Collector drones hovered from behind the living quarters building and engaged.

I arched my back, taking this chance to show another trick up my sleeve. Two wings made from the same digitized substance that solidifies the Omni-Tool and blade sprouted from my secondary spine, and I took to the skies to provide cover for the team.

"Hah! And they called me Archangel!" Garrus jibed with a laugh.

Shepard looked up in surprise for a moment, then quickly supressed it to keep her head in the game. "Take out the ones with the particle weapons! They're acting like a real pain in the ass!"

I followed suit, swooping down and grabbing the nearest Collector by the shoulders and sending it slamming headfirst into the hard wall, the impact caving in the chitin head like a mallet on a crab shell.

Miranda sent the rest floating helplessly with her biotics, making it easier for me to dispatch the footsoldiers. Going down, I deactivated the wings and let gravity plummet me like a javelin back to earth.

There was a loud _Krak!_ as my feet crunched one from head to toe, the rest falling prey to Ms. Lawson's warp attacks. "Nice work. I see that I've failed to see what the Commander meant by how far your skills go."

"There's more where that came from." Shepard smiled.

"I'll keep my eyes open then." Miranda said dryly.

We regrouped and advanced towards the warehouse, possibly where the colonists would be hiding should there be an attack. Once inside, we were met with a clearly frightened man wearing a maintenance jumpsuit. His hands were shaking as he gripped his socket wrench, and he yelped in fear as the doors came down.

"You…You're human! What are you doing here!? You'll lead them right to me!" He cried.

"Calm down, the Collectors outside have been dealt with." Garrus said. "You'll be safe."

"For the moment." Miranda muttered.

"Collectors?" The man gulped, "You mean they're real? I-I thought they're just a myth, propaganda to keep us in the Alliance!"

 _Uh oh. Another anti-Alliance colonist. Just what we need._ I thought.

"No! They got Lilith, and Sten! They damn well got everybody!" The man realized, his heartrate rising considerably. "It's the Alliance's fault! They sent that Commander Alenko and Williams to set up the defense turrets, made us a target!"

Whoa. Those two are here too? What a coincidence. "Turrets? Tell us about them."

"A gift from the Alliance. High powered Gardian lasers. Supposed to keep hostile ships from attacking the colony." The mechanic explained, " Had to build a massive underground generator to give them enough juice. Only we couldn't get the targeting systems online." He then ranted, " So the Alliance gave us a giant gun that can't even shoot straight! Stupid sons of bitches!"

"I gotta agree with the guy on that one." I said to the Commander.

"If you got defenses we can use them against the Collector ship." Said Shepard to the mechanic.

"You'll have to recalibrate the targeting systems first." He replied, "They've never worked right."

"We can figure that out." Miranda cut in, "Just tell us where to find it."

"Head for the main transmitter on the other side of the colony. The targeting controls are at the base." He walked over to the backdoor, hand on the green button. "Good luck, I think you'll need it."

"Is he going to be fine back there?" I asked once we were outside.

"Locked doors, without windows?" Miranda answered, "Yeah, he'll be fine."

" _ **Assuming direct control!"**_

"Really?!" I groan, bringing up my dual M-7's and sending two spheric grenades in an attempt to crack down its barriers. So far, unsuccessful.

" _ **We are Harbinger."**_ The drone announced, drawing back its arm for another big ball of singularity. _**"The architect of your genetic destiny."**_

Harbinger huh? Fancy name. "I don't have any genes, sorry!" I shot back.

Together, we pushed against the Collectors blocking our path towards the edge of the colony. How close they were to completing their job here, I didn't care. The sooner we get those guns to hammer down at the Collector ship, the better.

"Commander, the transmitter tower!" I called out above the noise of battle. From where we stood, we could see the tip of it sticking out like a sore thumb. Shepard nodded in agreement and told me to get airborne.

The wings sprout out and I take flight, raining death on the reanimated husks while zipping towards the objective.

Suddenly, a powerful biotic infused projectile knocked me from the sky and sent me crashing against a stack of construction materials.

"Kara, you alright!?" Shepard called through the comms.

"I'm fine!" I assure her, "Just met with a new player to this game!" The Supremus made a loud staccato burst as I went toe to toe with the strange creature. Like all things formed by the Reapers, that thing was an abomination. Standing seven feet tall with a human corpse for a handcannon, the Reaper was just the nightmarish ghoul you'd see in fantasy games, _Ugh._

Files extracted from the data I assimilated from Sovereign marked this one as 'Scion', which did nothing to aid the fact that it was still a monster. I never really thought that pieces from Sovereign's mind could come in handy, but for labeling enemies they certainly did their new job well.

The Scion howled as I peppered its face with gunfire, seeing as how this was the only part of its twisted and malformed body that looked vulnerable. Rule number one in fighting Reapers; Go for the eyes.

The head made a loud smacking sound as the tissue gave way, and I launched a grenade that made a soft plunk when it stuck to the soft mass. But for some reason, the grenade didn't detonate quickly enough. I was forced to duck behind a crate while the creature's cannon fired off three bursts of blue plasma that scorched half the enclosure! And then _Boom!_ Half the Scion disintegrated in the blast that followed, and the bottom half walked a few bloody steps forward before collapsing to the dust.

I stood up and eyed Garrus, the smoking mouth of his gun saying it all.

"Nice shot." I applauded the sniper. He flicked up his thumb and bashed at a husk closing in on him. As the rest of the squad dispatched the remaining opposition, I started up the transmitter to bring up the flow of energy from the underground generator.

Shepard and Miranda tag teamed Harbinger's avatar, the redhead deploying concussive shots to daze the drone while Miranda tore apart its barriers with her biotics. The SMG in her hand aided in pounding the four eyed monster's face into a pulp, the chamber clicking empty within seconds as she spent every last bit of the thermal clip.

"Cover the angles!" Shepard ordered her and Garrus to take positions at the corners of the transmitter array. The courtyard was a bad place to make a stand, seeing as the open entrances on all four sides invited all kinds of trouble. The Commander walked over to my side to see how far I've taken down the security firewalls. She hailed the Normandy, bringing Joker's voice over the comms.

"Joker here. Signal's weak but we got you, Commander."

"Time to show these things we give as good as we get. EDI bring the defense turrets online!"

EDI responded, _"Errors in the calibration software are easily rectified, but it will take time to bring the towers to full power. I recommend a defensive posture, I will not be able to mask the increased generator output."_

"Wonderful. We play piggy in the middle while she sorts out the batteries." I comment.

"Got any other helpful tips?" Shepard asked as she slipped another thermal clip into her rifle's chamber.

" _Just one. Enemy reinforcements are closing in."_

We heard an otherworldly shriek from the distance, and something that looked like a gigantic crossbreeding of an eezo pumped up cockroach and a cicada landed in the field. What was most fightening about the new abomination was that it sported a mass of partially deteriorating human heads in its gaping maw!

"Praetorian!" I blurt out as the Reaper files tagged the beast.

"What?" Garrus asked, clearly not seeing where I was getting at.

"Big. Damn. Bug!" I scream as the Reaper charged up its dragonbreath-like attack and sent a concentrated particle beam made of pure unadulterated biotic energy.

Shepard dove to the side as the beam punched a hole through her cover and set fire to the buildings behind her. Ending with a shoulder roll, she activated her suit's cloaking technology and disappeared from sight.

The rest of the team kept an eye on the swarming Collectors that followed after their big gun. Garrus covered me as I moved in, my Supremus slugs slapping uselessly against the Reaper's armor. My attacks served only to alert the monster to my presence and it turned its wrath on me!

" _Sequential power-up initiated. Gardian anti-ship batteries at 60 per cent. Syncing targeting protocols to Normandy's systems. Continue to protect the tower."_

The beam cut through crates, metal beams and some husks standing in the way as I sprinted around it in an attempt to flank it. Commander Shepard shifted in an out of combat, firing a concussive shot to distract the Praetorian and then fading out into nothing.

"You sure you don't need help with getting those guns up and running, EDI?"

" _I am certain, Ms. Solana."_ Came the answer.

That thing's biotic particle beam. So powerful. Would that I had the means to replicate such an effect-

Wait a minute. I didn't have an improved mass core for nothing.

Two can play at that game.

"Commander, try to get its attention, I've got an idea." I whisper into the comms.

"What the hell do you think I've been doing?!" Shepard yelled back irritably. I could see her wrestling with a Collector over at the northwest corner of the enclosure, her sidearm coming up to send a bullet through its stomach and then on the back of its head as it curled up on the ground.

As the Commander drew the Praetorian's fire, I sacrificed my shields and barriers to compensate for the attempt. The purified and reprocessed element zero flowed into the emitters, amplifying the effects of the mass core as my arm was drawn back. Like hurling Zeus' lightning, I sent a stream of pure white light that burned through the Praetorian's armor and blasted a large gaping hole through its meaty and cybernetic insides.

The creature reared back on its hind legs and gave a bestial shriek. I must've punctured more than just its armor, probably the heart that's just as volatile as a small nuclear reactor!

I ran and charged up a small shield to cover the Commander before the resulting detonation threw me off balance and sent me slamming into the wall, making a sizable dent to commemorate what happened here. Ow.

" _Firing anti-ship batteries at Collector vessel."_

"About time, EDI." Miranda said.

The cannons lining the edge of the colony sprang to life, sending barrage after barrage of laser batteries towards the Collector ship, hammering down on its armor and doing considerable damage.

But to our horror, the ship just about had done its work and the thruster revved up to send it flying away from Horizon and into space.

"Dammit." Shepard grunted, slapping away my hand when I offered it, her lips tightening up like a knot. I could see she was a helluva lot more than angry now, so I let it slide. She got up on her own and glared up at the hole in the sky.

"No! Don't let them get away!" A frantic voice caused heads to turn. It was the mechanic from the warehouse earlier. He ran up and started ranting, "Half the colony's in there! They've got Egan and Sam…and Lilith! Do something!"

"I did what I could!" The Commander narrowed her eyes at the cowardly colonist, "You just hid in your damn shed."

"If it weren't for Shepard you'd be onboard a Collector cargo hold by now." I point out.

At the mention of her name, the mechanic stopped. "Shepard? Wait, I know that name." He turned around to face us, "I remember you, you're some kind of Alliance hero."

Just how many people know Shepard's alive?

"Commander Shepard." A familiar voice echoed, "Captain of the Normandy. First Human Spectre and Savior of the Citadel."

Not many I suppose.

Ashley walked into the scene, still wearing that ridiculous pink armor, with Kaidan in tow. She looked at the mechanic, "You're in the presence of a legend, Delan. And a ghost."

"All the good people we lost. And you two get left behind, figures." The mechanic threw up his hands, "Screw this, I'm done with you Alliance types."

There was an awkward silence as the three stared at each other. I motioned for Garrus and Miranda to give the Commander some space, because I could tell by the glistening eyes that some emotional exchange is about to happen. The three of us waited out of earshot, the privacy for old friends to reconnect just enough.

I could see how heated it was from where we stood. Just imagining myself in the two Alliance loyalists comprehending Shepard's ties with Cerberus, it must've blown a gasket somewhere.

"Maybe we shouldn't have left her." Garrus said to me, "Especially with Gunnery Chief Williams over there."

"They should know better." Miranda frowned, "Prattling on with their issues with Cerberus is shortsighted to say the least."

"Well you did have quite the reputation." I pointed out, earning myself an irritable glare from the Cerberus XO, which I totally ignored. "You can't really blame them, can you?"

"No. I suppose not."

"Look at her, she's so pissed." Garrus commented.

"Kaidan's handling it pretty well."

"That's what he looks like when he's pissed!"

"Right. Because you know him better than I do."

The three part, not exactly on what can be considered as good terms. Shepard was mad a while back, she's pretty angry now. Things didn't end well, obviously. "Get the shuttle ready. I've had enough of this place." She growled.

 **}!{**

 **And we all know what happens when Shepard gets pissed. Thanks for reading, leave a review and tell me what you think :)**


	27. Chapter 27: Reunion with the Blue Damsel

**}!{**

"Hm. They will do." Ms. Lawson declared, having skimmed her eyes over the datapad holding my ideas on upgrading the Normandy's attack and defense factors as she had requested. Her eyes narrowed as she got to the bottome part, though, just as her lips curled into a confident smile. "Oh they will do quite nicely."

"I also have some modifications in line for our arsenal upstairs, shall I inform Mr. Taylor?" I said.

"A rundown on them first." She leaned forward.

I went on for a full fifteen minutes on the details. Recently, I had found a way to amplify the impact projectors on our weapons. The effects made the power of a simple pistol shot equate to that of a high velocity slug that which a sniper rifle uses while not sacrificing the slight kickback with every pull of the trigger. The same with the assault rifle, whether it be on short bursts or on full auto, the effects are devastating.

And the best part? No malfunctions of any kind and uses the same amount of heat sinks in a single thermal clip.

"And how did you come by this?" She asked, that tiny bit of amazement making itself present in her voice.

"Consider the geth, Ms. Lawson." I answer, "There are no boundaries on their methods on advancements except time. Give me a minute, I build you a Cain. Give me an hour, I build you a plasma based arsenal. Give me a day…" I pause for emphasis, "I build you a warship."

"Cerberus is fortunate to have you on our side then."

Before I could answer, the door behind me opens. I stand straight to greet the Commander. "Shepard." I say with a tilt of the head.

She merely nods in my direction and turns to the XO. "Do you have a minute, Miranda?"

Miranda set the datapad down on her desk and looked up at me, "That will be all, Ms. Solana. Thank you for your time."

"I shall be at the core room installing the modifications you've approved, should you need me." I say as I leave the two alone and clear the room.

I ran into Garrus on the way, him having visited Dr. Chakwas about the redressing of his injuries. "Hey, you hungry? Let's have some lunch at the mess hall. I'm starving." He offered.

I smirk with an arched brow, not sure if the question was a jibe or if he forgot. "I don't get hungry, Garrus. But sure, I eat."

Rupert Gardner, the Normandy cook, stirred up the pot as we approached. "What'll it be, sweet thing?" He inquired.

"Just your usual, Mr. Gardner. I'm not a picky eater."

"You'd be the first." He muttered, "Filet Mignon coming right up!" The tray gets stacked up nicely with those steak bits, he then scooped up some of that salad for Garrus, which was one of the few meals available that wouldn't outright kill the poor turian.

We sat on one table together, just exchanging ideas on buffing up the ship for the soon-to-be jump into the Omega 4 Relay. For some part, I brought up the subject on writing a calibration program for the Normandy's cannons, just so to make Garrus' job easier.

As expected, he refused, saying that he'd rather do it by himself instead of trusting a machine to do it for him. I wasn't offended by the last part, knowing the benefits of being a hands-on kind of person.

The salad was finished quickly, and Garrus excused himself so he could get back to work, leaving me alone to enjoy the delicious piece of cow meat.

As I dipped the piece of steak into gravy and into my mouth, I set my mind in sync with the Cerberus network. I accessed the files they had containing whatever organizations were tied with Singularity.

While the death of the Board brought me relief, it did not provide me the closure that I sought after. So, here I am.

Aside from Cerberus being the top buyers of their products, one caught my attention more than the rest. The connections were few, and there was little on the file to really go anywhere. The name though, Cult of Cerebri, provides speculation but not much else.

Also, I kept being blocked by the Cerberus AI.

" _EDI, care to help out with my search?"_

I feel her reach out for a minute, but for some reason drew back. _"I'm sorry, Ms. Solana. What you have attempted to access is of highly confidential nature, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to disconnect."_

For the first time in my life soaring through networks, I was kicked out. And no amount of attempts to regain connection bore fruit. Clearly, I underestimated the abilities of the entity guarding the organization's network.

"Asking nicely, huh?" I mutter as I straighten myself and take the empty tray back to the dishwasher and back to my duties. The day wears on and I finish installing the modifications as instructed, returning to my spot in the cargo hold to apply the final touches to the Jaeger.

"Hey Kara." Shepard greeted as she emerged from the elevator. "Busy?"

 _There's your answer._

"Actually no." I stand, frowning when I noticed the bruises around her neck and collarbone. "That looks painful, what happened?"

She shrugged it off with a slight wince, "It's nothing, just a bad first impression with our krogan supersoldier."

I ignore her and slap on some instant medigel on her cuts. She hissed and nodded gratefully.

"I have a favor to ask. I'll need your permission to access Cerberus' top clearance files."

"First Jack, now you." She mutters as she scratched the top of her brow. "What for?"

"I have reason to believe a large amount of Singularity's technology, upon the death of the Board, was shipped to one specific client in the Terminus systems." I explained, "If it isn't Cerberus, whoever has a hand on these technologies-

"Is a disaster waiting to happen." Shepard finished, "What kind of tech are we talking about?"

"Could be anything. Ranging from planetary siege weapons, world-based fabricators capable of building armies in days compared to us in years. Improved combat mech designs, controlled meteor strikes like the ones the krogan used in the krogan rebellions, you name your weapon of mass destruction- they make it."

"My god, is Singularity preparing for an intergalactic scaled war?!" Shepard exclaims. The sentence is more of an expression, because of all people, the Commander knows this galaxy is in for a intergalactic scaled war.

"Pretty much." I shrug.

"That sound pretty serious enough to warrant your permission. Be quick about it though, I'll need you at my side when we head to Illium this afternoon." She affirmed.

"Illium? What are we going to do there?" I ask while gaining access to the network once EDI relented.

"Aside from restocking our supplies? We're going down to see an old friend." She says as she turned heel and walked out the door.

I thank the Commander and got the most out of the next three hours waiting for Joker to get us through to Nos Astra, the capital city of Illium. For the most part, I had the option of asking the Commander for a detour to get to the main research facility of the Cult of Cerebri, which was located in the Themis system, not so far out of where we were now. The venture was preferrable, but it wouldn't be polite for me to force the Commander to go out of her way for a personal favor.

I elected to just leave it to her to decide when she wanted to help me.

Soon, I was already suited up and falling in step with Shepard and Miranda. The bustling metropolis brought back memories of Syccalea, a planet not that far removed from its twin, and I found myself scrambling the innumerable cameras dotting the skyline and wall corners out of impulse.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, or it may be out of habit. Still, nothing wrong with keeping the people peering through the other side of the lens from peering too close…

An asari accompanied by three security mechs approached us, bowing in greeting as she neared the Commander. "Commander Shepard, my name is Careena. Welcome to Illium. Are you here for business or pleasure?"

"A little bit of both." The answer did little to satisfy the greeter, but she let it slide. Her hand comes up and I felt her slide the information from her Omni-tool's map to ours, "I took the liberty of marking potential tourist spots, should you care for a nice afternoon stroll. Please enjoy your visit." She bowed again and left, taking her mechs with her.

"Well that's nice." I remarked, "We get to have a little sightseeing."

"Job first, Ms. Solana." Miranda never hesitated to remind me.

"I did say a little bit of business with pleasure, Ms. Lawson." Shepard overruled, smiling slightly at the irked twitch in the Cerberus XO's eyes. "It's called 'relaxation', you should try it sometime. Like now."

"Yes, ma'am."

We made our way through the busy streets, occasionally checking out the stores and stalls outside, where their wares caught our eyes. Whoever this friend was, I didn't really need to delve too much to figure it out, the clues were everywhere.

Information brokering is one of the top businesses in Illium. And last I've heard of Liara, she said she was going out to do something she was good at. Something she had learned while being an archeologist.

We ascended a flight of stairs into a building overlooking the skycar freeway. An asari receptionist took one look at the Commander and paged in for the guard to let us in. Liara was absorbed in her conversation with a business associate, too busy to notice us as we went in.

Busy, meaning she was trying her utmost to strike an imposing persona with a voice nothing short of a growl. And I have to say, she's doing a remarkable job scaring the poor man in the holo projection.

"Have you faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have." She tapped and swiped at her datapad, "I'll make it simple. Either you pay me now, or I flay you alive- with my mind!"

The message gets terminated and Liara's voice changes like the snap of the finger once she realizes who was present. "Shepard!" To her assistant she says, "Nyxeris, hold my calls."

The assistant bowed and left.

"My sources said you were alive, but I never believed…" She said as she embraced the Commander, "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Liara."

Miranda nudged me with her elbow and motioned with her head for us to wait outside. I nodded once and we left the Commander to reconnect with the asari in private. As we waited, I couldn't help but notice Miranda checking and double checking her Omni-tool as well as the utility belt strapped across her hips and the thigh-holster holding her sidearm.

If you ask me, that's a sure sign she's nervous about something.

"Here to tie up loose ends too, Ms. Lawson?"

She glares up at me, "You have a collection of skills, Kara. But sticking your attentions to matters that don't concern you? Don't add to it."

"That's me, the synthetic with a bleeding heart." I say non-chalantly, though she remained tight-lipped about the matter, I didn't push it. Soon, the Commander concluded her visit with Liara, the smile on her face indicating that the reunion went better than the one on Horizon.

Now that's a first.

"Shall we head out, Commander?" Miranda inquired, putting on that mask of indifference once more.

 **}!{**


	28. Chapter 28: Miranda's Loose End

**Okay I admit I didn't put much effort into Act 1's dossier missions, so maybe Shadows of Illium might make up for that and the other missons to come.**

 **Sorry. :{**

 **Anyway, here's hoping you enjoy the following chapters as much as you did the others…**

 **}!{**

I take my eyes off the course, a sure hand on the steering wheel as I drove the skycar towards our set destination; a warehouse and cargo terminal which acted as one of the many places Illium exports get shipped.

"Relax Miranda." Shepard said jokingly at the XO furiously sinking her teeth into her fingers. "Any more and you'll bite through the spandex of your gloves." She turns to me, "Do you have a bearing on what the Eclipse mercenaries will be bringing to the fight?"

I can see my eyes emitting pretty little blue flashes in my reflection as I sifted through Illium's vast network of camera feeds. "They're certainly bringing in a lot of Ymir class combat mechs. Big, bulky, cheap, but easy to put together. Nothing to worry about."

"How sure are you that we can trust this Niket?" Shepard asked as she slipped in the thermal clip into her pistol's chamber. Earlier that day, we met up with Miranda's asari contact. It turns out I was right to expect this visit to Illium brought about some needs of the crew, but I surprised nonetheless that someone like Miranda would need a favor from the Commander of all people.

According to Shepard, who was generous enough to provide the necessary details, the XO's biological father still had a hard time letting go. The worst part was that there was a little sister involved too, thus the gravity of the situation.

Glad I came along.

If it all goes well as my estimates say it would, I think the 'ice queen' is going to sing a lighter tune by day's end.

"He's one of my oldest friends. I trust him with my life." Now that's assuring.

Oh right, things started to incline to the turn for the worst ever since we left the Eternity bar. It all starts with a complication, a minor setback. We all know what happens next, we do.

Yet we keep mum about it and just let the flow of time take us somewhere.

"Set us down there." Miranda instructed, pointing behind a few metal cargo containers that could provide cover from the mercenaries deploying just at the clearing a few meters away.

I set the skycar to descend at seven hundred feet, pulling up suddenly when I heard the rattle of gunfire from below. The following seconds were filled with the sharp chatter of bullets against the metal surface, and owing to the unreliable covering of the grav-engine, the skycar caught fire and we were forced to abandon the craft.

Fortunately, we were at a distance from the ground that wasn't too severe, although it earned quite a few groanings and muttered curses from the other two women. I stood up and put a hand on my Hoplites.

An Eclipse engineer, walking confidently with his heavily armed comrades in tow, approached us.

"Since you're not firing, I trust you know who I am?" Miranda addressed the man.

"Yeah, they said you'd be in the car." He answered with a smug smile, "You're the bitch that kidnapped our boss' little girl."

"Kidnapped?! This doesn't involve you, I suggest you take your men and go." She warned. I flexed my fingers and coaxed the biotic emitters to run on full power, the yellow coils snaking around my arms in a threatening display.

We hear the sound of guns priming, and all the other mercenaries drew their weapons, most of them trained on me. "You think you got it all line up, huh? You're already too late. Captain Enyala is already moving in on the kid, she knows about Niket. He won't be helping you."

"Thanks for the heads up on that one. Here's one for you." Shepard said as she whipped out her pistol and sent a perfectly calculated bullet through an overhanging crane and severed the hand holding the highly volatile substance containers, sending the cargo falling to the Eclipse snipers positioned in a spider pattern amongst the crates and detonating on impact.

The engineer's tech armor could not protect him from the energy beam I've projected as it lanced through him and out his back, leaving a smoldering gaping hole in its place. But the projection did not stop there, and soon I was slicing through the mercenaries' cover like a hot knife through soft butter.

Shepard smiled proudly at my new skill, "Learned a few things from Horizon, now did you?"

We push forward, cutting through Eclipse as though their mech support and numbers mattered little. Of course, this should be attributed to the fact that Shepard always chose the right combination of team to cover both the strengths and weaknesses, leaving nothing for the enemy to exploit.

Today, I act as the big gun.

And also the team hacker. "Give me a sec with this door." I said as I rubbed my palm over the surface of the console. Miranda turned her attention to the discarded radio in a dead mercenary's hand, picking it up so she can attune her comm frequency to it.

"Shepard, I think I owe you an explanation." She said as she rejoined us in the hall, "Oriana is my twin genetically, but my father grew her when I was a teenager. She was meant to replace me, I couldn't let my father do to her what he did to me! So I rescued her…She's almost a woman now."

"I can understand you choosing your own way, but you stole a young girl from her father." Shepard said.

"If you knew my father, you'd understand." Miranda explained, "I wasn't the first one he made, I was just the first one he kept. I was brought up with no friends, pushed to meet impossible demands- I wasn't a daughter to him! I was…I didn't know what I was…" Her voice trailed away for a moment before she resumed, "Oriana's had a normal life. I made the right decision."

I nodded once in accord, which the XO took notice.

Well, just imagining myself in her shoes being brought up by a tyrant of a parent instead of the one I knew and loved…Can't even get a good picture in my mind, which is probably a good thing.

"Sounds like this friend of yours might be in trouble." I say, referring to what the merc leader said about him 'not being around to help'.

"If they found a way to get to Niket, this is going to be harder than I planned." Miranda mused, "According to the specs I've reviewed, we'll need to cut through the cargo processing area to get to Oriana."

I accessed the said specs to see for myself what sort of maze we were running into this time. "Lot of conveyor systems, lots of movement. Targeting won't be easy, Commander, I suggest we stay sharp when we engage."

"Acknowledged." Shepard nodded, "Let's not waste any more time talking."

"Agreed." The XO replied.

"Also, these cargo boxes contain a lot of hazardous substances, watch what you're shooting at." I advised cautiously as we moved in. "Then again, maybe that's the whole point of them existing."

The Commander didn't answer, vaulting over a conveyor belt and sliding beside a parked cargolift cart. The Eclipse reinforcements were alerted and were now spraying the cargo processing station full of holes. What's more, they decided against saving their mechs for the final leg and now deployed the heavy Ymir variants onto the compound.

The night was filled with flashes of gunfire, and most came from the Eclipse mercenaries entering through the corridors of the labyrinth. I ignored the bullets as the bounced harmlessly off of my shields, focusing my efforts on charging up another particle concentrate.

The mechs lumbered over, tossing aside empty containers and hefting their heavy weapons to engage the bigger threat- namely me. Shepard laid out what cover she could, taking advantage of the mechs' distraction and picking off the mercs foolish enough to emerge from hiding.

The beam wasn't as strong as the one before, indicating that my power reserves were once again running empty. I made a mental note to power down safely on the Normandy once the mission was over, moving my hands to direct the line of fire to slice through the mechs' shield and left the severed top sliding off the bottom half.

I crouched down beside Shepard, unfolding the Supremus rifle and slapping home the loosed grenade compartment as I waited for my shields to recharge. The Commander slipped on her tactical hood and disappeared from sight, the clanking sound of her grappling hook barely muffled as she gained a better vantage point.

The snap of her rifle was the only warning the mercenaries got before the improved velocity shots shattered their barriers and buried a mass accelerated round through their heads. Not even the mechs were safe in spite of their armor, because Shepard always managed to zone in on the fatal chinks of the Ymir juggernauts.

Miranda's Kassa Locust smg made its own series of clicks as she moved up with ease, keeping up with the best of us.

It wasn't long before we reached the other end of the cargo processing station, looking back at the mayhem we left behind as the welcome music of the elevator car reached our ears.

Too bad that wasn't the only one we heard.

" _Niket has reached the terminal, he'll switch the family over to our transport-_

Uh oh.

"Niket?" Miranda muttered in bewilderment, "But that can't be right…"

"Kind of sounds obvious, don't you think?" I asked the Commander. Her furrowed brow affirmed it as such. I looked around for the elevator console and tapped at the top floor, beginning the slow journey upwards.

"Maybe the Eclipse captain knows we're listening and is feeding misinformation about Niket making a switch." Miranda denied, "Maybe it means something else, Niket wouldn't do that…" She made me flinch when she slammed her palm down hard on the console with her open Omni-tool, "Dammit, why wouldn't this thing go any faster!?"

I thought for a minute before asking, "Did Niket know you took Oriana from your father?"

"No, he only found out about that recently. It was too personal to involve someone else." She answered. "I never really thought about it before, but maybe…" She wrung her hands as her voice trailed off, finally deciding. "No, he'd have to understand why I did it. He knows what I went through."

"And you're sure he wouldn't turn on you because?"

"He could've turned on me when I ran away!" Miranda defended, "I'm sure my father would have tried to buy him off. If he didn't do it then, why would he do it now?"

"I think you just answered your own question." I point out, much to the XO's frustration.

Commander Shepard stepped in, "We won't find out for sure until we find Niket. When we do, I'll make sure you have a word with this Captain Enyala and then sort out the mess."

"Agreed, Commander."

"Um, about that…" I say, accessing the cameras observing Dock 24.

"What do you see?"

"I count five snipers on a chokepoint above the rafters, three Ymirs and one of those titan mechs Singularity has distributed to the top three merc factions this year." I frown when I laid eyes on an asari conversing with another asari receptionist, and a man in brown overalls was with them too. I had to guess that was Niket, but I wasn't entirely sure. Besides, I already layed out the danger, no need to ruffle the XO's feathers any more than I have to.

"Ready up, but do not engage." Shepard ordered, "We're not the ones starting this fight."

The elevator doors open, "As you wish, Commander."

"This isn't worth my time, Niket! I get paid regardless of how the girl gets there." The asari clad in Eclipse gear grumbled, affirming my suspicions.

"No!" The man retorted, "I was told we can handle this my way! We are not traumatizing the family any more than we have to-

Enyala readies up her shotgun at the sight of us, and Niket follows her gaze. We stop at five meters, a bold but dangerous distance- for the enemy of course.

Niket squints when his gaze meets Miranda, "Miri!" he gasps in recognition.

"This should be fun." Enyala smiles sadistically, prompting the asari receptionist to make a run for it. She turns her weapon and shoots her at the back, spraying her dark purple lifeblood all over the floor and crates.

"Niket." Miranda narrows her eyes. Whatever ties she had with her friend were instantly severed. "You sold me out." Her gun comes up and I hear the distinct whir of the snipers priming up their own.

Shepard already has her sidearm trained on Enyala, and I had my targeting matrix plotting a neat pattern as the seconds ticked by, all at the ready and just needing the Commander's go signal.

"Why Niket?" Miranda asked, her voice a little hurt but still angry, "You were my friend, you helped me get away from my father…"

"Yes, because you wanted to leave. That was your choice." He answered, "But when I learned that you had stolen a baby-

"I didn't 'steal' her, I rescued her!"

"From a life of wealth and happiness?" Niket waved her off, "You weren't saving her, you were getting back at your father!"

"How did Miranda's father turn you?" Shepard asked.

"They told me that you kidnapped your baby sister all those years ago, said that I could help get her back peacefully, no trauma to the family. I told them you would never do that, that they can go to hell." He narrowed his eyes at the memory, "But then you finally told me what you've done. I called them back that night."

"Why didn't you call me, Niket?!" Miranda demanded, "We've been through a lot, you could've at least let me explain!"

"I deserved to know you stole your sister, Miri! I deserved to know you were with Cerberus…but I then I had to hear it all from your father first."

"So you sold her out, for how much exactly?" I inquired.

"A great deal." He answered, inciting another hateful outburst from Miranda.

"Dammit Niket! You were the only one I trusted from that life!"

He nodded in acknowledgement, "He knew you would feel that way, that's why he bought me."

"So you just took his money…"

"Don't get holy on me, Miri. You took his money for years."

"Whether or not you agree with Miranda, Oriana has been with her family for years now." I say, wishing inwardly that this stand-off would be over and done with.

"Her father can still give her a better life-

"You don't know what my father wants for her!" Miranda yells.

"I know that I've been poor, Miri, I didn't much care for it."

"He wants to take her away from the only family she's ever known, doesn't that tell you what he really is!?"

Shepard points out quietly, "If Niket knows about Oriana, then your father knows too. Relocating her won't work."

At this, Niket purses his lips and the truth spills. "Miranda's father has no information about Oriana." The revelation taking the XO aback.

"I know you have spy programs on your father's network, Miri, so I kept it private." He reveals while taking a step forward, "I'm the only one who knows."

"Which means you are the only loose end." Miranda concludes, raising her gun to fire. "This wasn't how I wanted it to end Niket, I'm going to miss you." Before I could stop her, she pulls the trigger.

There was a certain passiveness in the man's face as the bullets buried themselves in his chest and belly, possibly acceptance over atoning for his mistake. I would never know for certain, Niket was flatlined seconds later.

"Figuratively speaking…"

Captain Enyala shrugs, "I was getting tired of talking anyway." And she brings that massive krogan shotgun to bear.

I stop her as I encase her entire body in a biotic shell, slowly clamping it down like an iron maiden trap. "So was I." I see Shepard wince as the sound of breaking bones reaches our ears, and the mangled corpse drops like a rag doll.

The next instant, I form a barrier to absorb the weapons discharge of the Eclipse snipers hanging around on top, beckoning the Commander to unfold her rifle and make use of it.

The dock area was still filled with explosive containers like everywhere else, and setting a well placed shot earned a number of kills to the Commander's tally almost immediately after the fight ensues. I sprang from cover, planting my feet firmly to the floor and grabbing hold of the skycar parked in front of us.

My enhanced servos kicked in and I swung the vehicle in a circular hammerthrow motion, sending it crashing onto the catwalks above and taking out three Eclipse mercs in one blow.

An engineer showed up from the nearby elevator bearing a small rocket launcher, and Miranda made a swift sprint forward while sliding down at the last second, tackling the mercenary by the legs and snapping the bone from the knee. She gave a firm twist of her elbow wrapped around the merc's neck and snatched up her weapon. The other Eclipse survivors made a break for the shuttle just at the docking area, the XO merely took aim and that was the end of them.

Her head was hung low as she tossed aside the empty canister, walking up to regroup with the squad.

"I can't believe Niket sold me out…" She said in disbelief, even after all she'd seen. "Didn't even see it coming." Her hand was placed on the wall as if the weight caused her to tilt over.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Miranda." Shepard said, "I'm guessing this is one you won't repeat."

"Why did he wait for me to kill him? He could have run, could have lied or said something…But he just stood there, the only loose end. He knew what I would have to do."

I voice out what I supposedly saw back there, "Some part of him knew what he did wrong, and he wanted to atone somehow."

"You atone by fixing your mistakes, not by commiting suicide."

"You did what you had to do, Miranda." Shepard says soothingly, "You're not responsible for Niket's death."

"Of course I'm responsible! But it's not my fault, it's not anyone's fault…" She says angrily, "My father takes the blame for all of this." Her gaze falls on me, "It's always been like this, my father gave me everything I ever wanted. But there was always a hook, an angle in his long term plan. I threw away everything he gave me when I ran, except Niket." She shrugs, "Weakness on my part."

"You can't toss aside everything you care about just to be safe, Miranda." I say, "I've learned that time and time again the hard way."

For the first time, I see a genuinely kind smile appear on the Cerberus officer's face. "That's okay, Kara. My father hurt me, but he will never break me. As much as he tried to turn me exactly the way he wanted, I'm my own person."

Wow, she just called me by my first name, and not at all in bad way!

"And hey, at least you've still got your sister." Shepard smiles as well.

"My father didn't give her to me, I rescued her. But you're right, I've still got something. Thank you, both of you."

We walk out as soon as the doors opened, so far no sign of Eclipse at the lobby entrance. My eyes fall on a small family gathered near the benches, and I could've sworn the teen standing with a modest posture at the back looked like a sixteen year old version of the Cerberus she-wolf standing next to me.

Miranda sounded like she was about to cry. "There she is…She's safe, with her family."

Her eyes close as she reminisced about something from so far back in her mind, then straightening her self as she realizes how much we were dawdled. "Come on, we should go."

"Don't you even want to say hello?" I ask.

"It's not about what I want, it's about what's best for her!" Miranda argued, "The less she knows about me, the better. She's got a family, a life, and I'll just complicate that for her."

"She doesn't need any details. But would it really be so bad for her to know she has a sister who loves her?"

Miranda lapsed into silence over the thought, finally deciding. "No…I guess not."

"Go on, we'll wait here." Shepard goads.

The two of us watch as Miranda summons all the courage she has to approach her younger twin, elated to see how well the introduction went and how it ended. The smile never left either of them as we boarded the shuttle for our return to the Normandy before heading over to help Liara on her quest.

 **}!{**

 **Again, terribly sorry for the slow updates… Will try my very best to crank up the speed, and that's a promise**


	29. Chapter 29: Shadows of Illium

**}!{**

 _I love the playground, letting out a robot chortle of glee when I first learned to kick my legs to swing higher and higher. A particular liking, the monkey bars, which I navigate deftly using my hands._

 _Mother sits at a bench nearby, her attention divided with her work phone and making sure I wouldn't hurt myself._

 _I could tell by her expression she was hardly the scientist who pours herself into her job and more of akin to the parents who brought their own children to the park. The kids themselves don't really seem to care what their parents think; there were those who cry when shoved towards me, and then those who want to stay when the parents pull them away. I learned, picking up on subtle cues, so that sometimes I say goodbye even before the child turns to run._

 _The day presses on, and I start to notice things around Mother too._

 _She looks tired, exhausted over some argument with the person on the other end of the phone. I had no means to discover who it was at that time, but I knew it was someone of unsavory ilk._

" _Mother, what's wrong?" I ask as I climb onto her lap._

 _She gazes at me and caresses my bald robotic head, "Nothing for you to worry about, little angel. Come on, would you like to test out the new body I've built for you at the lab?"_

 _I wrap my arms around her neck like a koala as she carries me off, "Yes please."_

"So tell me, how do those wings of yours work?" Kasumi Goto's voice yanked me out of my reminiscence.

I raise my brow at the question, same one asked for far too many times, yet I obliged. "Do you want the long version or the short version, I can write several textbooks on the subject alone." If I had to guess, the thief's just asking because she would probably put the contraption to good use, for all the wrong reasons.

"The short one, preferrably."

"O-kay, where to begin? Ah yes-

"Excuse me!" A voice interrupts our conversation and causes the entire squad to halt in our tracks, "Excuse me! Are you Commander Shepard?" An purple skinned asari with intricate white and blue tattoos called from the crowd.

"Yes, what is it?" Shepard addresses the woman as she nears the group.

"You're Commander Shepard?" She pauses to size her up, "I saw your…I guess you would say your aura. I'd recognize you anywhere." Her next words nearly sent a lot of red flags up by my HUD, "I've been asked to give you a message, from a friend you've made on Noveria."

"What friend?" Shepard asks, "I think you'd have to be more specific."

"I believe the message itself should make it clear." The asari replies, her eyes suddenly rolling back until only white showed. In a voice clearly influenced by an outside source, she drones, _"Shepard. We hide. We burrow. We build."_

 _Uhh…What's going on?_

The rest of the squad was just as speechless as the Commander, and the asari continues, _"But we know you seek those who have soured the songs of our mothers. When the time comes, our voice will join with yours, and our crescendo will burn the darkness clean. Thank you Shepard, the Rachni will sing again, because of you…"_

 _Oh. Now it makes sense._

"I…I'm glad to hear you're rebuilding." Shepard manages, "Are you somewhere close by?"

The asari's eyes roll back down and the distinct intonations were gone from her tongue, "The Rachni Queen is not here. That message is one of the many memories I carry from her." She smiles, "I encountered her on an uncharted world. She saved my life. More than that, she gave me a purpose. They are an amazing people, Shepard. The galaxy owes you a great debt for giving them a second chance."

With that, the asari waved us goodbye and disappeared back into the crowd.

Kasumi's expression was quite comical, she'd laugh if I had a mirror to show her so. "Well, that was…different."

"Let's see…What were we supposed to do again?" Shepard muttered, looking up as the cab hovered overhead. "Oh, there we go."

"That conversation about the Rachni worries me. Honestly, I don't find how you would trust the word of the queen of a race that terrorized the whole galaxy so appealing."

"Can't kill them for past sins, Kara." Shepard answers, "You might not trust them, but you can damn well trust me. Besides, she did say that together we'll burn the darkness clean."

"I wouldn't put too much faith in that. Burning the darkness clean has a lot of meanings, most of them not so good." I insisted, getting into the vehicle with the others. The rains started to pour as we joined in with the stream of other skycars, the nice little droplets pattering softly against the windshield. Things didn't seem all too well with the aforementioned apartment, especially so when I noticed a lot of comm traffic tagged with the Illium Police. "Commander, look."

I could tell by the stern look on her face that we both feared the worse. Once we disembarked, we were met with an officer that ordered us to back out of the crime scene.

"What's going on?" Shepard demanded.

"Ma'am, I will need to ask you to step back." The officer repeated firmly. "This place is sealed off."

"Sealed off, why?" I asked.

"Someone tried to kill your friend, Commander Shepard." An asari dressed in a blue Spectre outfit interjected, "Thank you officer, your people are dismissed."

"You can't do that-

She waved off her protests, exercising her Spectre authority. "Already done."

With great reluctance, the officer gathered the others and left the building as commanded.

"Tela Vasir, Special Tactics and Recon." I addressed the asari.

She raised her left brow, "Have we met before?"

"The Council might have sent you on a lead to apprehend me once or twice in the past." I reveal, "I keep a closer eye on what goes on in their system more than they think. Is that why you're here?"

"No." She ran her palm over the surface of a nearby sofa, "I'm here for the same reason you are."

If I've mentioned the Council going after me, Vasir was the one Councilor Tevos sent to handle the matter personally. The Spectre did what she did best, chasing me for six months. And I did what I did best, keeping well hidden.

No. I didn't trust the woman.

Shepard thought differently, "Liara was following a lead on the Shadow Broker."

"Dangerous enemy to have."

"She was expecting me here." The Commander continues, "Might have left a message behind- her office wasn't safe."

"No surprise there." She said with a nod, "Illium is just Omega with expensive shoes. I haven't found anything useful to track her down yet. You knew Liara T'Soni better than I did, where would she have hidden her backups?"

"We'll take a look around."

Don't trust the asari, but no harm done keeping an eye on her. I can multi-task. With that decision over and done with, I helped search the apartment with the rest of the squad.

The inside of Liara's home was a mess. Aside from the glass encased Prothean relics she'd been collecting over the years, and the diploma displayed proudly on the wall, I could see from where we stood the telltale hints of a high-velocity round impacting the front window and ending up at the black leather couch where Liara usually works most nights.

One other interesting piece was the one displaying the back piece of the torso of Shepard's old N7 armor. _Where'd she even get that?_

"Looks like someone didn't like you much either." Vasir commented as she bent down to inspect a pile of discarded papers.

"I'm going to check upstairs." I announced, "Maybe there's something there of some use there." Really, I just wanted to get away from the Spectre. Because compared to her, Shepard was better company. Six months of hounding after me- don't make nice.

My boots made a soft brushing sound as it made contact with Liara's bedroom carpet. I looked around, noting how well made the room was compared to downstairs. One had to guess that the archeologist hardly used this room during her stay on Illium.

I walked over to the endtable, smiling as I recognized the picture of the Normandy SR1. Liara must've taken the photo during the time we were still starting out hunting down Saren, judging from the lack of scratches on the lower port bow.

"Huh." Shepard said as she reached the top of the stairs and entered the bedroom, "Only a couple of pics the Alliance ever had of the Normandy that's left. None of them had the best angle as this one." I handed it over to her.

"Liara's an archeologist. She'd have known the basics of photography." My smile faded as I the picture switched once the Commander's thumb pressed over the screen. A photo of one of Liara's Prothean dig sites now took the place of the Normandy.

" do you think it means?"

"I think this is the message." She answers quietly.

"Liara and Protheans." I muse, "A lot of those relics are displayed all across the apartment, couldn't be a coincidence."

"Let's get back down there and see what we can find."

I followed her down, noting Vasir's watchful eye as we searched each and every one of the case displays. From sculptures to ancient knick knacks, one stood out among all the rest.

A faded green statue of some great philosopher had an inner circuitry and mechanism that I detected. Once my hand touched the surface of the nametag, a small spheric-shaped device was ejected.

"Vasir, we found something!" Shepard called her over.

"A backup disk? Let's try it on her terminal." The asari beckoned as she activated a nearby console.

The screen showed a twitchy salarian wearing the traditional green and gold-bordered suit, Liara's voice came over from the other end. _"What have you got for me Sekat?"_

"Hmm. Looks like she recorded a call." I mumbled.

" _It was tricky, but you paid for the best. I could narrow it down to a cluster, maybe even a system."_ Sekat answered. _"Shouldn't take long, come to my office. Baria Frontiers, the Dracon Trade Center building. I gotta say, T'Soni, you're making me a little nervous. How big is the trouble that could come out of this?"_

" _Relax Sekat."_ Liara said dismissively, _"I'll see you in a few hours."_

"This must be important. The Shadow Broker tried to kill her once before." I reported.

"I know where the Dracon Trade Center is, my car's outside." Vasir invited.

"Alright then, let's go." Shepard agreed, getting in with her with the rest of us.

Now that I think about it, what exactly was Vasir's angle in helping us? Spectres, aside from Shepard, don't just go benevolent on someone no-strings-attached style. The longer I was around her, the more suspicious I got.

And this isn't me being paranoid. Ugh, emotions…They're messing with my head.

"The Baria Frontiers offices are located on the thrid floor." Vasir informed as we emerged to walk up the steps into the building, "I don't hear any police chatter, we must've missed the party-

An explosion that took out the entire third floor stopped the Spectre right in mid-sentence, causing the entire ground to shake and send us staggering back! "Liara's in there!" Shepard yelled.

"They just took out three floors to make sure she's dead!" Vasir said, "I'll grab the skycar and seal it off from the top!"

I bring out my guns, "Come on Shep, it'll take more than just a couple of bombs to kill Liara."

"One can only hope." She muttered as she followed me inside. There were several civilians still moving from the rubble that had fallen from the resulting explosion, and I accessed the local landline to send for the Nos Astra emergency crews. Ignoring the tinkle of glass shards breaking beneath our heels, we began working our way in through the main lobby.

The place was worse than Liara's apartment, I have to say.

' _Please exit the building in an orderly fashion, emergency crews are on their way'_ The speakers droned on and on like a broken recorder, although this did little to distract me from the mission. Shepard took point up the stairs, advancing cautiously as we took up the second floor.

"No survivors, dammit." The Commander cursed as we came upon the scattered and charred remains of the office workers.

"Commander, over here!" Kasumi called us over to the left corner of the room. A defused bomb was sitting there, rendered inert by the thief's expert handling.

"Military grade." I say, running a quick scan. "Sloppy work. The type of hardware you use when you don't have time for a plan."

Shepard nears the console at the door and patches in with Vasir, "We're at the Baria Frontiers section, Vasir. Liara just signed in just a few minutes ago."

" _Understood Commander."_

I waved my hand over the console and overrode the door's security lockdown, taking over the Commander's position as pointman. And a good thing too, for I detected several heat signatures, the outline of the objects held in their arms way too obvious.

Before a sphere shaped device hit the floor wet with the sprinklers' streams, I grabbed the Commander by the arm and shielded her eyes with my hand. _BAM!_ And everything went white, the flash grenade filling my entire vision with its brilliance!

Fortunately, I wasn't limited to the eyes of my platform. Utilizing the slightly intact security cameras and accessing them, my hand emerged from cover and fired exactly where I saw them taking positions.

"Vasir, we're pinned down! Mercs- and they're well armed!" Shepard called as she returned fire.

" _Say hello to the Shadow Broker's private army, Commander!"_

Kasumi was armed with an Omni-glaive mod, and she handled the weapon like a pro. One second she was gone, and the next, she'd be in the middle of the fray tossing the disk about like a frisbee. Shepard switched her ammunition to disruptor rounds, an ample enough force to tackle the enemy's shields, and blasted away with her Mattock.

There was quite a lot of rubble left here and there, and I suddenly got this idea on how to effectively put them into use.

Picking up the broken pieces of concrete by the rebars sticking out like broken ribs, I hurled the heavy blocks easily twice my size and breaking through the walls that served as the only barrier between me and the mercs. Seeing her opportunity, Shepard took them out from the gaping holes I've made.

Ignoring the wet blonde locks that otherwise should've obscured my vision, I took advantage of one merc as she recoiled from her shields shattering from Shepard's concussive shot and made a running leap, pommeling her off from the trade center with both feet out the exposed side of the building, down to the hard pavement she went.

The nanoweave skin around my chest and shoulders hardened considerably as the firefight went on, preparing for when my shields had to go off.

The bullets bounced off harmlessly, leaving the tiniest of scratches on my skin, as I dove from one overturned table to another. The Hoplite grenade launchers helped, flushing the mercenaries out of cover and setting them up for Shepard to take down.

We got to the foot of the stairs at the final floor, blocked by the fires venting out of damaged pipeworks. What's more, electrical livewires were dancing on top of puddles all over the floor.

Nasty.

I tiptoed across to get us back on track, skipping over to the maintenance console and switching off the power. When the cardreader demanded identification, I smashed the screen with my fist and yanked out the wires, knowing that hacking a faulty piece of hardware was completely useless.

"There, should be safe to go up now." I announced, suddenly met with a fresh batch of Shadow Broker agents!

"That notion's a two way street!" Shepard jibed as we resumed the slow progression towards Liara's rendezvouz point.

Sparks flew where the stray rounds met the surface of concrete, skimming along and shattering the windows behind us. I broke from the squad and wrapped myself in biotics, barreling in just like I've seen Wrex do back in the day and killing two mercs in one devastating charge.

I grabbed an agent by the crook of his chestpiece, but winced as Kasumi's glaive severed his head from the neck and sprayed bright red arterial blood all over my face. Talk about 'moneyshots', heh.

Suddenly, a stray rocket sped from across the aisle, headed straight for the Commander! Fortunately for her, she'd been honing her evasion skills in her spare time and rolled out of the way. _BOOM!_ Dust and other debris blasted up from the explosion, and she just shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"Alright, on me." The Commander called out once there was an end to the fight, "We're close, no surprises this time."

We hugged on to the wall, stacking up before I was given the signal to open the doors. That was when I could hear the distinct sound of a Carnifex discharging…twice, even from the muffling of the thick walls.

We rushed in, just in time to see a salarian with a bloodied head falling slack against the wall and crumpling down in a heap.

"Damn it." We all looked to see Vasir walk over a dead Shadow Broker agent's body with smoking Carnifex in hand. "If I've been a few seconds faster I could've stopped them."

"This is Sekat?" Shepard asked as she knelt beside the salarian's corpse.

"Must've been." Vasir answered.

"No sign of that data Liara was talking about." Shepard sighed, getting back up." Looks like a dead end."

"Speaking of which, did you find your friend's body?"

I frowned at the trajectory of the bullet impact and the position the merc had fallen, something didn't add up here, althought I couldn't quite put my finger on it. There was no Carnifex pistol on the merc's hand either…that bit of evidence made my eyes widen and my hand reach for my gun!

"You mean this body?" A familiar voice asked, accompanied by the distinct sound of a Shuriken submachinegun priming.

My own Hoplite was up, aimed solely on the asari Spectre along with Liara.

Shepard was too surprised to see what we were getting at, so she went with "Liara wait, she's here to help!" Then she notices me with my weapon pointed dangerously at the same target, "Whoa Kara, what's-

"Now I know who tried to kill Liara back at that apartment." I say out loud. "And two shots from a Carnifex out here in the open, one for Sekat and another for your merc. Big mistake."

"You've had a rough day, so I'll let that slide." Vasir answered, her eyes slowly narrowing as she backed towards the window. "Now why don't you put those guns down?"

The realization dawned on Shepard, and she turned on her fellow Spectre. "You didn't know where Liara went, because she hid the message. You needed me to find it for you."

Vasir just shrugged, "Thanks for the help." She said sarcastically.

"I'm betting Sekat's disk is on her person. Hand it over, Vasir." I say.

She smiles, holding up said disk. "Good guess. Not that you'd ever see what's on it-

I notice her other hand reach behind her, and see the pulsation of her biotic aura begin to envelope her like a second skin.

-you android bitch!"

Quickly, I encase the others with a biotic bubble, protecting them from the glass shards Vasir broke off from the window behind her, not at all worried of being hit myself. The projectiles dug deep into the walls like little knives and bounced off harmlessly from the bubble, though one buried itself into my forehead and stuck out like a sore thumb.

Blue blood trickled down my face, and I smiled at Vasir's dumbfounded expression, wrenching that miserable piece of glass out and saying. "That all you got?" And then, I tackle her as she tries to run, plummeting down to the ground floor below.

I felt myself float along with her as she protects herself with her biotics before reaching the ground, elbowing me at my face and wriggling free. I drop down and scramble to get back after her, getting considerable distance as a group of Broker agents emerge from the trade center entrance.

I see Liara race alongside me, tossing the mercs aside with her biotics and vaulting over overturned furniture and decorative plants.

 _Did Vasir just call me a bitch?_

The Spectre hopped off the edge of the building, latching on to a waiting skycar and speeding away into the freeway.

"Damn it!" Liara cursed. I grabbed her arm and motioned for her to get into the cab, abandoned by the driver when he went over to help with the civilians injured in the explosions.

"Commander, let's go! She can't have gone far!"

Shepard takes the wheel and I sit on the passenger seat beside her. She pauses, looking at my wound with concern. "You okay?"

"Just a scratch, nothing to worry about."

"I'm not letting her escape with that data! Let's go!" Liara says in determination, shooting out her hand at the fleeing skycar's direction. "Hang a left, no, a right!"

"I got her!" Shepard acknowledged, the furious blares of passing traffic assaulting our ears as we made way. Illium, like any other metropolis, has its own labyrinth. This one, made entirely of cars moving at speeds 80-100 miles per hour, making it a real challenge for the Commander to zip in between the gaps.

Vasir proved just as skilled with her driving as she was with her biotics, easily using her surroundings to block our every attempt to get close.

Liara's backseat driving certainly didn't help either.

"Traffic! Oncoming traffic!"

"What kind of weapons does this thing have?" Shepard asked without thinking.

"It's a taxi, it has a fare meter!" Liara answered sardonically, gripping the handle above her door nervously.

I rolled down the window on my side and leaned out, forcing Vasir's car to swerve defensively as I peppered her with shots from the Supremus.

"Truck!" Liara cried out as we entered a tunnel, the said cargo holding vehicle skidding out of control by Vasir's rammings and now rolled dangerously over to us!

"I see it!" Shepard planted her foot down firmly over the accelerator.

"Truck!" Liara held her hands up as the burning wreck sailed over, missing the windshield by a couple of inches. "Nyaaah!"

"There we go!" The Commander grinned.

"You're enjoying this?!" Liara said incredulously.

"Totally." I smile in agreement, bracing myself as we neared Vasir's car.

Once the traitor saw us, she resorted to use her skycar as a battering ram, jolting us inside with each hit. Shepard got a few licks in, pushing her against the opposing lane, finally succeeding in disabling the speeder with a significant slam against an oncoming dump truck.

Vasir struggled to maintain control as she made the inevitable plummet to the nearby hotel, crashing violently on the roof outdoor pool.

Shepard set our skycar down on the landing pad, nodding in thanks when I hand her the Supremus rifle before stepping out to follow after Vasir.

Suddenly, I hear the crackle of the asari Spectre's voice come over a secure channel. _"I crashed on top of Azure, get me some damn backup-_

"Commander, she just sent a message, calling out for the Broker's reinforcements." I announce as I intercepted the call. "I've blocked it successfully, but it's only a matter of time before they actually be on top of us."

"Then we follow Vasir's trail." Shepard decides, "With injuries like that, she can't go too far away." She points out the splotches of purple asari blood on the floor of the hotel rooms. Along the way, we spy the mangled security mech bodies and guard corpses strewn all across the halls. Aside from spent thermal clips, Vasir's blood trail seemed to grow into small puddles as we progressed.

And then there, we see her, back slightly hunched as she nursed her wound. The hotel staff and patrons all around had no idea of what was transpiring until it was too late.

"It's over Vasir!" Liara calls, "Surrender!" The civilians scream and scramble to get away, fearful of the weapons standoff on the lobby.

"Yeah, like they ever do that." I say as I roll my eyes.

The Spectre groans as she struggles to surmount the excruciating pain, moving over to a woman oblivious to all the screaming. With one swift move of her arm, she uses the receptionist as a human shield, unholstering her Carnifex and pointing it at us.

Her face swells with confidence as she asks her hostage, "What's your name, sweet thing?"

"M-Mariana." Came the fear stricken reply.

"Mariana." Vasir echoed, "You want to live, don't you? Tell those people you want to live."

"Nowhere to run, Vasir." I tilt my head, inwardly worried about the hostage's safety but taking great care not to reveal my thoughts. "This only ends one of two ways."

"Are you really going for that?" She challenges, showving the end of her barrel at Mariana's temple. "Now it gets ugly."

"Please, I have a son…" Miriana sobs.

"A son?" The sadistic grin grows ever wider, "I hope he sees you again. I've heard losing a parent is just horrific for children. Scars them for life."

 _Aw hell no._

"That does it." I growl, taking very careful aim for the inside of the Carnifex's barrel before pulling the trigger, a snap echoing across the lobby as my weapon discharges.

Vasir lets out a yell as the handgun breaks apart on impact, recoiling her arm as it explodes in her hand. Liara siezed a nearby table with her biotics and pommeled Vasir away from Mariana and into the lobby fountain.

I move forward and grab the woman, pushing her to run for the exit just as the enraged asari Spectre rose from the fountain with a loud splash and used her biotics to teleport at a safe distance.

Before she could get her Vindicator rifle up, I vault over the lobby counter and tackle her onto the ground, the weapon skidding across the floor as I engaged her into hand to hand combat.

Her biotics were in the way, protecting her arms and legs as I mercilessly hit and slapped at her vital points. Vasir proved to have extensive training in this field as well, parrying and blocking no matter how fast I considered myself to be.

Then her hands come up and I found myself facing a powerful blast of EMP from the emitters of her gauntlet!

 _Did the Council just make my inventions the standard issue for Spectre modifications!?_ I groan inwardly and collapse, struggling to reboot my shortcircuiting systems before Vasir could mean the end of me.

Fortunately, that's what Shepard was around for. She peppered Vasir with the Supremus, making her back off as I regained control over my platform and resume our fracas.

Meanwhile, I could hear the faint hum of the Shadow Broker's reinforcements landing their personnel carriers and deploying their troops above us.

They finally found the Azure hotel.

Shepard was launching grenades out of the Supremus, focusing fire on the engineers before they could set up their mobile assault turrets. I grunt as Vasir delivers a strong kick at my midsection, causing me to stagger back and give her enough time to charge a biotic infused punch and slam hard against the underside of my chin.

The surface cracks and I notice a few glitches in my vision as I fought to regain control of my systems, retaliating with a headbutt that came with the momentum of her strike.

Vasir snarls in pain, suddenly unleashing a biotic shockwave that sent me flying against the wall, following up with a hard stomp of her heel at the back of my neck as I rose partly off the floor.

The heel of her boot dug deep into the skull, remarkably strong in its organic integrity. I see Liara take her from behind, blasting off with her submachinegun until Vasir's shields were shredded, distracting her long enough for me to reach up and grab her leg, tossing her aside like she was a bag of flour.

Shepard was bashing a merc with the butt of the Supremus, breaking open his helmet and shooting him pointblack in the face, turning her attention to helping us tag team Vasir into submission.

While it was clear we didn't need to actually let her live, Shepard preferred the latter.

Soon, Vasir had run out of allies, as expected. Left to her own devices, she desperately put up a fight, but was completely overwhelmed in the end. Stumbling over, wounded and humiliated by her defeat, she eventually succumbed to her injuries.

As she lay dying, Liara picked up the stolen datadisk and placed it in her Omni-tool.

"You're dead!" Vasir called out in defiance, "The Shadow Broker has been in power for decades! He's stronger than anything you've ever faced."

"We fought a Reaper." Shepard muses, "Does that count?"

"You're a traitor and a disgrace to your uniform, Tela Vasir." I say as I wipe the blood off of my lips and forehead.

"Me? A traitor? Go to hell!" She bristles, "The Broker's been giving me damn good intel for years, intel that saved countless innocent lives on the Citadel-

 _BAM!_

Smoke rises from the Hoplite's barrel, and blood oozes out of the hole between her eyes. "Yeah. I've heard all of that before." I say with disgust.

"You okay?" Shepard inquires.

I shrug, "I think that's a question you should reserve for Liara." I knew she meant my reaction to Vasir threatening Mariana, concern well placed. Anyone in their right mind would've done what I did, though would have their options limited by fear of injuring the hostage.

Good thing I'm not held by those barriers.

" _Eliminate T'Soni and retrieve the data. Collateral damage is of no concern."_

I look up to see Liara playing Sekat's datachip, recognizing the same intonation of that distorted voice as the Broker's manifestation from the first time we had crossed paths. Not that I'm pleased at all to hear it again.

"I'm putting the data through to the Normandy's computers." She says as we approach her, "We can be at the Broker's base in a few hours. He'll know about Vasir before long, if he decides to kill Feron-

Shepard stops her, "We'll get him out of there alive, Liara. I promise."

"He won't get the chance." I join in.

"I know." Liara moves on, as if shrugging off the words. "You both are here to help, as always."

I pause, "Uh. That's not a good thing?"

"When we first met on Therum, you saved me from the geth. You fought a krogan battlemaster while I cowered." She sounded like she hated that memory, although I can attest that this was one of my fondest. Not the killing part, just watching Liara trapped in that Prothean bubble. "Now you're doing it again, and I'm still leaning on you for help."

"But that's what friends do, Liara." Shepard pointed out.

"Yeah, what she said."

Liara doesn't answer, turning her heel and walking back towards the skycar. "I can get us there based on what was on Sekat's drive. The Normandy can get us there undetected. The Shadow Broker's agents are still shooting their way through Illium. With luck, they won't even notice we've left until it's too late."

"Lot of innocents died out there." The Commander raises her brow at the statement.

"You know what I mean." Liara argues. "Sekat had no idea what the stakes were. I put him in harms way and got him killed. And I'd do it again. But from here on out, things will be simple. Get in, get Feron, and get out." She nears the wreck of Vasir's car, "And kill anyone who tries to stop us."

"Works for me." I agreed.

"Will you just stop for a second?" Shepard says as she grabs Liara's arm, "We'll be jumping several lightyears. There's time to talk."

"About what Shepard? That I lost you, that I mourned for you for two years?" I could see hints of a little bit of chemistry between the two, unless that was just me having a glitchy perspective.

"Shepard's just looking out for you, T'Soni." I said my piece before things turned sour, "Like any sister would, or close friend if you prefer that term."

Her mouth opens to protest, but I cut her off. "And I know, you mourned for her in your own way. But newsflash, we all did." I tilt my head and smile, "But now she's back, and she wants to save the guy who had a vital role to play in her resurrection…That bit is something you should not overlook."

Liara sighs in frustration, "I…I'm sorry Shepard. I can't get into this. For now, please focus on getting Feron back."

Shepard makes a pouty expression that made me chuckle, "Fine."

 **}!{**

 **ARGH! Writer's block, it strikes again!**

 **Thank you all for you patience, I hope you enjoyed that chapter, pls leave a review once you're done. :)**


	30. Chapter 30: The Shadow Broker

**}!{**

The Cult of Cerebri.

Pretty much what you'd expect of the first name. Made up thirty percent human, twenty five percent asari, fifteen percent turian, fifteen for volus, and another fifteen for hanar. One hundred percent fanatical, members numbering up to four billion and still climbing.

A religious set that believes knowledge to be the supreme manifestation of divinity in the universe, worshipping a fictitious goddess that transcended from organic form to the lofty state of machine incarnation.

Ah people these days. They so desperately want to believe in something, they'd call anything their god.

Nobody paid much attention to them after they surfaced in the years following the Shanxi incident, since they covered up more than a fair share of the galactic market's tech industry aside from SinCorp.

In accordance with what is known, they are relatively harmless. But with a belief that a higher form of existance that crossreferences to the Reapers is a dangerous plausibility that I cannot ignore.

I had made it clear that once we had concluded our missions on Illium, it is imperative that we make for the Thanis system as soon as we were able. Most of the artifacts that SinCorp had sent on their way had Reaper origins. There was no doubt in my mind that a form of indoctrination was underway, making me all the more worried as time passed.

"Hagalaz." Liara told me about the planet we were approaching aboard the Kodiak, "The oceans boil during the day and then snapfreeze ten minutes after sunset."

The bright flash of lightning emphasized the inhospitable nature of the atmosphere, followed by a loud clap of thunder. The Broker's ship came in sight, and I found myself admiring the ingenuity of its design.

Shaped somewhat in the form of a barracuda with a mushroom for a tail, funneling its other end to pierce the dust filled winds and the other to act as a shield for the lightning storms making their never-ending stabs against its surface.

"So he rides the storm? Very nice…"

"The Shadow Broker lives here?" Shepard asked in incredulity.

"If you want a hideout, why not choose the most unfriendly of planets for a safehouse?" I comment, "I applaud his strategy."

"Though I still find him as an unsavory character overall." I add quickly as Liara's passive expression turned to baleful glare.

"This is not something to joke about, Kara!" Liara scolds.

"Ah T'Soni, stop it." I say with a tilt of my head, "The brooding and cynical attitude does not fit you, get rid of it." I put my hand on her shoulder, "I had faced the Shadow Broker's agents with you before, I know exactly what we're dealing with. Plus, Feron's a drell, and they're pretty hard to kill."

"Insinuating that the Broker is torturing him all these years is no way to make me feel better!" She cries out.

I emphasize my point, "He's still _alive._ Now put these thoughts aside and let's get down there and look for a hatch, okay?"

Shepard puts on her helmet, "Yeah, let's."

Liara dons her rebreather in reluctance, still bearing that annoyed scowl.

Out of the open doors we went, feet loudly thumping against the surface of the Broker's ship. Shepard needed one of the most experienced of the crew to accompany us, so she chose to bring a Mr. Zaeed Masani to act as our wingman.

From what I hear, Zaeed's been around since the time of the Skyllian Blitz and fought in it too. So it's safe to assume that a little extraction shouldn't be much of a problem with the veteran at our side. "Ach, the weather's messin' with my comms here! Anyone else getting' the same problem?"

"My vision's getting glitchy! Is that normal!?" I yell back.

"What?!" Zaeed banged at the side of his helmet, indicating that he didn't hear a word I said. "Say again!"

"Exactly!" I say, much to the Commander's amusement.

"Maintenance drones!" She warns, marking four red orb drones with the red dot sight of her rifle.

"Why are they attacking?" I say, blasting them away with my emitters.

"They must think we're debris from the storm." Liara explains.

The walkway extends beyond an array of panels, seemingly the ones responsible for the attraction it held over the storm's deadly arcs. It was then that we realized how quickly the ship's security teams compromised our attempts at a stealthy approach.

"Light 'em up!" Zaeed's crackling voice yelled, the muffled patter of his Mattock barely registering but all the more effective at breaking shields enough for Shepard to exploit. A quick scan revealed that the energy panels stored up a frightening amount of unadulterated electricity from the lightning storms, and that the slightest impact on the panels could trigger a chain reactive shock that was equal to a mass disruptor grenade effect.

With that, I put a bullet into one of those panels and sent the guards convulsing in pain over the current running through their bodies.

"Haha! Look at 'em go!" Zaeed cried out joyously.

"Guess the ones who designed this ship didn't think their schematics through!" Shepard yelled as she put another one between the eyes.

"They'd work better if they were designed for defense purposes." I say, thinking out loud, tossing about an Omni-glaive and decapitating a rocketeer before he could zone in with his launcher on us.

Another deafening clap of thunder drowned out the chatter of gunfire on the valley between the Broker ship's catwalks, and we soon found ourselves going through deeper and narrower corridors that made cover impossible. So I resorted to take point, bringing up my barriers to maximum and picking up the pace so that the mercenaries would focus their fire on me and not the rest of the crew.

Shepard laid out some cover fire by taking out the rocket drones zipping about, making every shot count in case we were to face an overwhelming force like on Illium.

Zaeed cursed as a combat mech emerged from a nearby hatch and wrapped its strong bionic arms around his neck, struggling to get his Mattock's mouth against its face. I paused from moving forward, firing an EMP blast from my emitters to short out the drone's inner circuitry and give the old veteran a chance to defend himself properly. As I did so, my focus was diverted considerably, and the enemy vanguard saw this as a chance to strike harder than before, combining biotic strikes with disruptor rounds.

Grunting with the effort of holding up the shield, I bent down on one knee and called out for the Commander's help. "Shepard, the capacitors!"

Shepard followed suit, utilizing the lightning collectors as I had done and sending wave after wave of electric pylons through the unfortunate soldiers.

My olfactory sensors could smell the stench of burned flesh beneath the enhanced fibers of the Broker's soldiers, and it was not pretty.

Once the corridors were clear and the mercenary bodies stopped twitching, I dropped my shields and took a breather, gingerly touching the open wounds on my arms and shoulder.

"I'm getting sloppy." I say with a frown, shaking the droplets of blue onto the floor below, much to the fascinated twitch in Mr. Masani's brow. "Come on." Liara says, "It can't be much further."

We enter a junction, somewhere in the middle of the ship, containing constantly shifting panels that harnessed the shafts of lightining same as the capacitors outside. No doubt about it, we entered one of the many engines driving this collosus through Hagalaz' skies.

"This ship is incredible!" Liara comments as we pass through the overhanging perches and shrieking pylons, "It must have taken decades to build in secret!"

"Yeah, I wonder what happened to the contractors?" Shepard agrees.

"I think we can guess." She answers, " Navigating this storm is brutal. Just think what would happen if the engines stopped for even a second…"

"Yeah, I don't want to, so why don't we just-

"At least the Shadow Broker's going down with us." Liara ignored me.

I purse my lips, "Hmph…That's comforting."

The doors swing open with a hiss, and the roar of the storm resumed its horrible cacophany all over again. Zaeed paused to replace his rifle's clip before we ascended the ramp leading to where Liara pointed out the main entrance should be.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the specified entrance. The only thing standing in our way inside was a triple maglock reinforced door, no doubt lined with about a hundred security measures hidden within the mechanism, knowing the Broker's growing paranoia.

"Not even a guardrail." I comment, "I bet the Broker's agents love patrolling the hull."

"At least the view is nice." Shepard answers with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Reminds me of how the Citadel looked like when we were walking on walls during that fight with Saren." I agreed, looking at Liara. "You don't happen to have a bypass shunt program on your person, would you?"

She nods, "As a matter of fact, yes, I have. Might take a minute or two to crack the door's security protocols, but it should work."

Come to think of it, not too many places in and out of the black market have those programs available, and I know that the few are working for the Council now. "Go on, we'll cover you."

"You said how long would it take?" Shepard asked after Liara applied the program via her Omni-tool.

"I really don't know, Shepard. I've never broken into the Shadow Broker's base before."

"Hopefully not too long, get ready!" Zaeed yelled, unleashing a barrage from his gun at the approaching wave of Broker forces bent on preventing us from gaining access to the base entrance.

Another rocket whizzed by my head, causing me to tuck down and slam a biotic infused fist to the ship's hull, causing a string of biotic shockwaves to either incapacitate or toss overboard the hapless agents.

"Are you sure that shunt even works?!" The Commander inquired in annoyance as fifteen minutes passed.

"It's illegal, even on Illium! It didn't come with a warranty!" Liara yelled back.

"But you tested it, right?" Zaeed joined in, getting more and more agitated as the agent numbers never let up.

"Lot of lightning capacitors around here, Mr. Masani!" I point out, "Use them!"

Blue shafts zapped here and there as he planted a round on each and every one of those panels, thinning out the waves enough for me to move over to the door. And I realized that both Shepard and Zaeed's worries were rightly so.

The indicator moved so painfully slow, and I found myself frowning as the minutes ticked by. "Illegal for a good reason, standard credit-ripoff designs." I slapped my palm and directly interfaced with the program, pushing past the firewalls like I've always done, though going fifteen times the pace and finally unlocking the stubborn door.

"Who needs this crap when you've got an AI on your side?!" I practically yelled at Liara as I deleted the program.

She shrugged non-chalantly and finished off the remaining agents before regrouping with the others inside.

The corridors within were not so different from the outside, although the constant battering of the winds no longer existed, which was good concerning the fact that all the yelling turned most of the squad's throats sore.

"How many agents does the Broker have?!" Shepard gasps in disbelief as more of them show up further down the hall.

"Vasir did refer to them as 'the Shadow Broker's private army'." I reminded her.

"By 'army' I was expecting a minimum of thirty to forty, not a hundred!"

"It's actually just forty-six, not counting the ones we killed on Illium. Trust me, I've been keeping count." I wrap myself in biotics and allow the energy to proppel me forward, coming into contact with two mercs as I extended my hands out and grabbed them from behind as I passed, promising a quick end as I bashed the backs of their heads together. "Make that forty-eight…"

Shepard picked up a launcher from a grenadier and set the hall on fire with a phospor canister, sending the defending team to retreat further in. They put up a desperate struggle, more out of fear should they fail as the Broker's distorted voice continued to rant from the speakers above.

Liara, who hated the Shadow Broker more than anyone else in the team, blasted each and every one of the broadcast emitters to silence the crackle of his voice as we moved on.

Soon, we arrived at a large compartment, the overlooking glass ahead indicating that it was some observation post of some kind. The agent in charge of the place swiveled around in her chair in surprise, getting a bullet in her mouth as a result.

"Whoops." Zaeed said grimly, smoke still rising from the tip of his gun's barrel as he gazed at its bloody work.

I held down my Hoplites as I inspected the room, looking over the glass panel and finally realizing what was being observed. For there, hooked up to several heavy metal cables and plastic tubes as well as wires, was none other than Feron the drell middleman himself!

"Feron!" Our asari companion gasped at his weakened state. Clearly, the Broker didn't keep him around for nothing.

"L-Liara?" The drell moaned painfully. I could only imagine what was being done to him these two years, all of them not pretty pictures.

Liara ran to the command console in an attempt to release our friend. I tried to stop her, "Liara, wait!" None of the complex machinery spelled 'safe to handle' at a few touches, meaning that whatever attempts to tamper with the cables could result in a-

"Gyaaah!" Feron screamed as the wires stuck through his body electrocuted him.

Yeah, exactly what I meant. I pause to scan the workings of the torture device as Liara looks on helplessly.

"This chair's plugged in to the Broker's info network." I explain upon concluding my scans. "We'll have to shut off the power. Pull him put now and his brain cooks…"

"Can you override the Broker's control?" Shepard asks.

I shake my head, "I can, but with every attempt to tackle the network's firewalls causes the system to react, and never in a friendly way. Bottom line, I get locked out and Feron's head get sizzled."

"Well, there's more than one way to take out the bloke and at the same time get the lad out." Zaeed suggests.

Shepard nods, turning back to me. "Any ideas on where we can get it done?"

"Central operations." I answer, "Hopefully, that's where we'll find the Broker too."

Liara puts a hand on the glass and calls to Feron, "Just hang on for a little longer, Feron. We'll get you out."

"I'll try not to go anywhere." He smiles weakly, hope flickering faintly in his bruised eye.

"Come on, it's just down the hall."

We fight through a few more guards before finally reaching what seemed to be the end of the line, the Commander taking point as the doors slid open.

Inside the center of operations, I was amazed to find how it looked more like an office than an actual criminal mastermind's casa. But then again, that would defeat the purpose of looking foreboding or stereotypical anyway.

Seated casually while tapping on the console on its desk, a monstrously large figure leaned forward upon our arrival. None of the species documented in my memories matched up to the one before us now, and bewilderment got the better of me.

"That's the Shadow Broker?"

It ignored my whisper, addressing the Commander instead. "Here for the drell? Reckless, even for you Commander."

Yup, pretty much what you'd expect from the Broker. One thing to attribute to villains- they're all condescending.

Without his voice distortion mod, the Broker revealed what he truly sounded like, and was just like his face- ugly. "Dr. T'Soni, your interference caused all this. Feron betrayed me when he handed you Shepard's body. The drell is simply paying the price."

"Someone was bound to come after you for working with the Collectors." Shepard frowns as she hefts the stock of her sniper rifle against her shoulder.

"It was a mutually beneficial partnership. Your arrival is convenient, the Collectors' offer still stands."

That one kind of made me mad, "This time, Broker, it's your body that gets sent to the Collectors in a casket."

He looks to Liara in amusement, "You travel with fascinating companions, Dr. T'Soni. Thank you for bringing Ms. Solana, her dissection will be most fascinating."

Yeah, and when he does that, I'll just upload myself into the nearest computer and destroy his entire network from the inside. _Works both ways for me._ I tilt my head as I studied his body mass, "Now that I think about it, I'll need to cut you apart just to make you fit."

"You're not putting a hand on anyone!" Liara snarled.

"It's pointless to challenge me, T'Soni. I know your every secret, while you fumble around in the dark." He glowers at her.

"Is that right? I know what you are…" Liara tries to intimidate him, "You're a yahg, a pre-spaceflight species quarantined for massacring the Council's first contact teams." She looks around the room, "This base is older than your planet's discovery, which means you killed the original Shadow Broker sixty years ago, then took over. I'm guessing you were taken from your world by a trophy hunter who wanted a slave…"

"…Or a pet." She later adds. "How am I doing?"

The Broker's answer was a slow rise from his chair, his four pairs of eyes glaring down balefully on us as he towered a good nine feet above us.

"Blimey." Zaeed mutters.

"I think you made him mad, doctor." I said, preparing for the worst.

The Broker's fist slams down hard on his desk, breaking apart the furniture into two and tossing the biggest piece right towards us. Shepard throws herself into me and Liara in time to dodge the projectile, though Zaeed wasn't all that lucky. The old veteran promptly got knocked over and out with one blow, leaving only the three of us to fend against the raging red giant.

"Go for the eyes?" I hear Shepard say as I got to my feet, watching as the yahg tore off a heavy assualt cannon from the display boards near his desk and using it to drive us back into cover.

"That thing's most likely protected by the best shields money can buy!" I point out as I soak up as many bullets as I could, barreling in on the giant and meeting brute force with brute force. He grunts as he digs his bent hind legs into the floor, pushing me back with a strong lash of his arm.

I duck as Liara throws a biotic bolt to knock against his face, proving exactly how strong the shield was around him when a shimmering white barrier absorbed the strike like it was nothing.

It was at that same moment when he paused to charge up his barriers did Shepard rush forward to engage him in melee, bashing at his face with her rifle and relying on her enhancements to be agile enough to slide between the Broker's legs.

I follow up with a downwards elbow strike at the back of his head, kneeing him under the chin and then delivering a roundhouse kick to slap against the flat surface of his face.

The yahg roars in pain, slamming me back as a yellow Omni-shield morphed over his arm.

"That's my technology!" I scream angrily, launching myself in the air and wrapping my fists with mass energy. I was stopped in mid-air, grunting and struggling to get free as the Broker grabs around my tiny waist and slams me onto the floor, stomping down repeatedly on my face.

"Get away from her you ugly son of a bitch!" Shepard snarls leaping over the tossed about piece of the desk and brings her biochemically enhanced fist to connect with that tiny valley between his eyes, causing the Broker to stagger backwards.

"Shepard! Kara! Keep him there!" Liara calls, apparently at a safe distance preparing an attack of her own.

"Ugh…" I groan as I rub the slightly dented top of my skull, "What the hell does she think we've been doing all this time?"

"You got a plan, do it!" Shepard answers, reaching down and helping me up. "Come on Kara, let's finish this!"

We get in close to the Broker; I on the right, slapping aside the assault cannon and out of reach; Shepard on the left, kicking down against where the kneecap should be. Meanwhile I watch as Liara reaches up to the large circular accumulative of all the lightning capacitors from outside, breaking at the seals and shouting for us to get clear.

Suddenly, the Broker gets wrapped up in a storm of white shafts, forcing him to his knees as the glass shattered fully and brought down the full force of the collection of lightning spires.

Monstrously bloated with energy, the Broker lets out a final cry of anguish before he was disintegrated into a thousand burnt out particles! The blast knocked both me and Shepard once again onto the floor, but left us both breathing with a sigh of relief.

Well…perhaps it's more accurate if I say it was Shepard who breathed a sigh for both of us.

Liara, on the other hand, was panting from exertion. I get up and walk over to her, giving her a congratulative pat on the back on a job well done. "You did it, Liara…That's one less bad guy to worry about."

"I think…I think you should see to our mercenary friend over there." Liara says as she turns towards Zaeed's unconscious body.

"Yeah, I think that would be best." I say, preparing some medi-gel packs for his injuries, "Why don't you go over and check with the power systems, Feron's waited long enough."

She gives me a nod, moving over to the nearby console and tapping at the controls.

" _Shadow Broker, this is Operative Murat. We had a momentary connection failure, can you confirm status?"_

All heads snap in the direction of the gigantic screen displaying the names and statuses of every top Broker agent from every part of the galaxy, and it seemed like everyone had taken note of the disturbance we've created.

" _Operative Shora requesting update. Are we still online?"_ Came another voice.

Liara seemed paralyzed with indecision, which was a curious response concerning that she used to see this ship and its denizens as an abomination. Why was she pausing now?

" _Shadow Broker, we have lost our feed. We are online and awaiting instructions."_

More voices joined into the confusion, adding to the asari maiden's increasing agitation. She moves towards the central operations console, hand over the panels that should activate the Broker's relaying protocols.

She's not going to do what I think she's going to do, is she?

Liara takes a deep breath before opening up a channel, "This is the Shadow Broker... The situation is under control."

 **}!{**

 **Another chapter down, finally putting a couple of licks in with the Writer's Block and cranking up my tired out brain into working condition!**

 **Ahem, for those of you who read this fic for the sake of Shepard shipping with Kara, the next chapter's dedicated specifically for budding up that late blooming relationship.**

 **Stay tuned, here it goes :)**

 **Once again, thank you for reading and pls leave a review. Peace out**


	31. Chapter 31: Happy Birthday Commander

**Lemon Warning: Skip or don't read this Chapter at all if you're not into this stuff!**

 **If you are, then don't let this notification keep you.**

 **Enjoy :)**

 **}!{**

"Ah finally!" I say triumphantly, jumping off the Jaeger's right wing back down to the Normandy's floor to survery my finished work. I put a hand on my hip and set the majority of my weight on my left leg. "Jaeger, looking good there, old girl."

" _Thank you, Kara."_ The ship chirped back to me. _"You look just as smashing yourself."_

" _I might have to remind you, Ms. Solana, Cerberus' strict AI security regulations have extended to your person simply because the Commander feels that you're an asset to the team."_ I roll my eyes as EDI begins that rules-stickler attitude that far surpasses even that of Shepard herself. _"That same rule does not apply to the Jaeger. I will have to ask you to deactivate it."_

"Bugger off, EDI." I say with a frown, "The Jaeger's just a VI, but it's got more heart than a bootlegged Alliance initiative like you."

Our heated conversation caused more than a few crewmember heads to turn, which I ignored alltogether.

"Yeah, and don't even try to deny it. I know as much as Ms. Lawson upstairs where Cerberus got you from." I say as I put down the spanner and don my favorite violet jacket. "So you can pester me all you want, but it'll take a helluva lot more than that to force me to turn off the Jaeger."

" _I will notify Ms. Lawson of your obstinance."_

"That won't be necessary, EDI." Shepard says as she walks in through the open elevator doors. "The Jaeger's an asset, and so is the VI driving it. Leave Kara be."

" _As you wish, Shepard."_ EDI obeys, and I feel her presence lift and move elsewhere.

I nod gratefully for the Commander's timely intervention, "Thanks, she was really starting to get on my nerves. Well, wires, if you wanna' get technical." I scoot over when she leans on the Jaeger beside me as I kept at my work with another one of my projects. "How was Liara's visit? She taking the whole Cerberus resurrection thing as well as you'd hoped?"

Shepard smiled, "Yeah, I'm pretty taken aback myself."

A soft whimpering causes her to look down, and a golden haired labrador puppy paws at her leg. Shepard goes like, "Aww, a puppy!" She bends down and picks the little guy, careful not to squeeze his tiny body as she brings him up to her face.

I frown and bend one knee to inspect the little box I supposedly kept him under the table, finding it torn up and immediately realizing the puppy's tendency to hate enclosed spaces.

"He's so cute!" The Commander pauses to inspect the nametag on his collar, "Aren't you, Sam?" The pup yips as a response, earning himself a playful rub at his warm belly.

I shrug as Shepard doggytalks him, rubbing her nose affectionately on his as his pink tongue goes up to lap at her face. "There goes the surprise. I was planning on bringing this up to your cabin, but what the hell?"

She stops, "What are you talking about?"

"Unless I read the dossier wrong, it's April 11 today." I say as I bring out the small cake I baked, saying with a smile as I presented it to her. "Happy 32nd Birthday, Commander."

"Oh! It's April already?" She says in surprise, putting down Sam as she receives the plate. I understood she was very busy, too busy in fact. I was pretty sure I was going to get her later on, but Sam really does know how to make an entrance. Sly dog.

"Time flies so quickly these days." I answer, "Um, I believe this is the part where you blow on the candle and make a wish? Does that sound about right?"

"Thank you so much, Kara, this was very thoughtful of you." Shepard says sincerely, blowing out the small flame and drawing her lips together tightly in an expression of deep thought.

As much as it tempted me to ask what she wished for, I knew that would be tactless as it was foolish. Privacy is a word to be respected as the act, words I lived by learning the hard way.

"So, something else you want to talk about?" I inquire.

She pauses to recall, "Actually, now that I think about it. Why don't we share the cake upstairs? I could use the…um… company."

Without thinking, I answer. "Sure, I'll be over in a sec." Sam wagged his tail as I pick him up, joining up with the Commander as the elevator took us up to her cabin.

In all my time aboard the Normandy, I've never gotten a glimpse of the Commander's room, not even on camera. It purely out of modesty that I abstained from accessing the feeds, and it was because of my never-ending impulse to create stuff that took up my time to visit her in off-duty hours, and the free time spent in recharging my core. So it was a welcome sight to finally take a peek into her sanctuary for tonight.

I checked the watch on my Omni-tool, confirming for myself that it was 8:30 in the evening. Well, that means Liara and Shepard's talk took far longer than expected…

"I heard you had a soft spot for animals." I comment, eyeing the hampster running on its mill and all the exotic fishes swimming in Shepard's aquarium. I set Sam down and watch him scamper off into the carpeted corner beside the Commander's bed and claiming it as his own. I had put a requisition order online for a dogbed, but for now, Sam would have to settle for the box and its chewed up rugs, doubling both as a sleeping area and a chewtoy.

Heh. Dogs…

"I do, that's why Sam's such a great gift."

Shepard's been eyeing me strangely this whole time, not subtle enough for me not to notice, and definitely not the normal hey-Kara-how's-it-going kind. I wasn't going to make assumptions of anything, so I decide to go for the safe approach. "There wasn't enough time for me to make a big one, so I had to settle for this." We sat together on her couch, quietly going through that slab of pastry and watching her fish making curious little lights with the mellow glow of the aquarium.

"So how was it?" I ask a while later, "I hope I didn't put too much sugar."

"No no, it's fine!" She assures me, "Just the right amount of sweetness. I'm more interested in how you learned to cook actually."

"Oh? Well it's easy, I just downloaded some vids from the Extranet and conditioned my hands to act accordingly, some kind of muscle-memory." I explain as simple as I can, "It's how I learned how to put together a gun or a spacecraft out of junk, and then, I adapt. Learn new skills. Adapt. Branch out, and so on."

Sam was begging for Shepard's attention, bounding about excitedly as she leaned over and picked him up, placing him on her lap and rubbing the scruff of his neck. "Kara, you mind if I ask you something? The personal kind?"

I arch a brow, "Not at all, fire away."

Sam closes his eyes as Shepard places a gentle hand on his back, "You've been living for the past seventy years drifting place to place, hiding from the Board…"

I nod in acknowledgement, "A former life now ended thanks in no small part to you."

"And you've never had anyone close to you? No friends, no…close relationships?"

I purse my lips and answer her while she places the sleeping pup back in his box, "The only person who I ever held close to was my Mother. She was my friend, teacher, and creator. As for relationships, it was too big of a risk on both sides. I didn't want to endanger the life of someone, and certainly not my own..." It's perfectly clear what she was getting at, but I guess I wanted to know it from her. "Why do you ask?"

Oh dear, I didn't just ask that, did I?

The couch emits a squeak as Shepard scoots over, making me draw back a little when she came too close for comfort.

 _That is unprofessional behavior right there! Get out while you still can!_ I thought. _Why? Calm down, there's nothing big about Shepard being all touchy-touchy, she's just being all platonic about it._

Then her hand reaches out, its warmth enveloping my own as it touches me.

 _Platonic enough for you? This is getting out of hand, no pun intended. Go on! Get!_

"Shepard?" I ask quietly. "You didn't bring me up here just for a slice of the cake, did you?"

"No."

She had me on my back and was looming over me like a triumphant lioness pouncing over her first kill. Okay, maybe that personification was a little lame, but it definitely described my predicament accurately. "Sh-Shepard? What are you doing?"

And there. I sounded like a complete idiot for asking so. Of course there's one road this whole course of action is going to take me!

I tense up when I feel her breath hot upon the crook of my neck and shoulder, and Shepard murmurs against my skin as her lips trail the surface teasingly. "What I should have done on the SR1 all those years ago." Before we could go any further, I bring up my hand and disable the hidden cameras by overriding EDI's controls. The main reason being, in case it goes awkwardly, no one but the two of us will know about it.

"This is…unprofessional behavior, even for you, Commander." I hiss as I find her lips on mine, feeling my microtendons mashing softly against warm flesh.

"Humor me, it's my birthday." She whispers, drawing back as my hands grab her hips, with half a mind to flip her off and make a mad dash for the door.

For some reason, or rather for curiousity's sake, I stayed.

Shepard's hands tear at the straps of her uniform, discarding it and revealing a well toned body glistening with sweat. Funny thing, having air-condition in the room and everything…

Then, her hands go to undo mine. I don't even protest when I find my favorite jacket and tanktop sail over to some far part of the room.

Just a fling. She needs some way to work out her frustration, I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones. I sighed to myself as my underwear follows, dragged down by the Commander's teeth.

 _You owe her that much, go be a good girl and do your job._

She pushes me onto the bed and crawls on top of me, too distracted by the high of all those hormones swimming in her system to notice my passive expression. I bare my neck as she inhales the traces of burnt red sand in my skin, adding to the high and sending her into a drunken trance. Her hands clap together and the switches respond immediately.

The lights grow dimmer and dimmer until all I could make out of the Commander was her silhouetted and perfectly formed curvaceous body straddling my hips.

I reach up hesitantly, earning myself a moan as I come in contact with her breasts, marveling at how firm and yet so malleable they were in my grasp. And so heavy…

Shepard leans down and kisses me again, "You're so beautiful, Kara."

Should I tell her I wasn't feeling any pleasure no matter what approach she took? Nah. Just go for it, Kara. Getting her to feel good is enough. Hopefully, she'll just forget this ever happened in the morning. "I like your tattoos."

Before her ever-roaming hands could reach what was considered the most intimate of places, the apex of my thighs, I hook my leg around her waist and flip her over so that I'd go on top.

Shepard falls with a soft sigh, lifting her head lazily to see what I was doing, although I knew little was getting through that cloudy point of view.

I could see her clit even through the dim light, all puffed up and glistening from all the juices leaking out of her open mound.

The human body, so complex in all its infrastructure, yet so simple in design. With that, I plunge a pair of well lubricated fingers into her molten core.

Oh right, have I mentioned just how hot it was in there? Really, I have nothing to compare it to.

The human body is just full of surprises.

"Oh god yes!" Shepard moans, arching her back as I pumped my hand in a steady but precise motion, hooking up my digits to apply the right amount of pressure on her G-spot ( wherever the hell that was, Shepard keeps making sounds ranging from high to low pitch in various combinations that I can't even predict )

The Commander was a mess of quivering flesh at my fingertips, again no pun intended, writhing in sweet agony at my ministrations.

A vid I've watched a long time ago in some inappropriate site in the Extranet compelled me to place my lips on that little bud above her slit, wrapping my tongue ever so slowly and dragging it lazily over and over again.

I wasn't in the mood for teasing, so I made her reach that peak after a steady progression, increasing the tempo of my thrusts until she finally falls over the edge of the precipice.

Oh, and I knew that when a spray of warm liquid splashed against the lower half of my face and neck. Shepard emitted a loud throaty moan after a strangled gasp, falling back slack as I extracted my slickened hand from her.

Human body, full of surprises.

After wiping the sticky fluids off of my mouth and chin, I turn up the lights a bit to better see the Commander if she was alright.

Shepard had an arm over her head, face an expression of pure bliss as she panted like she just ran a marathon. No harm done.

So, does that mean we're done for the night? I wasn't sure about the protocol on these things, just heard of it supposedly lasting longer. Then again, Shepard had a long day, perhaps her mind just couldn't take the pressure any more.

Well, not my problem.

I get up, got dressed, and turn back to her.

She was sleeping. Good. I move over and grasp the blankets, placing it over her naked body gently to avoid waking her up, whispering as I did so. "Happy Birthday, Commander. Rest well, it's another big day tomorrow."

I turn my attention to the attentively tail-wagging pup sitting on his haunches, "Watch over her, Sam, kay?"

The lights switch off as I release control over the cameras, returning to my station after a short ride down the elevator and resume my work.

 **}!{**

 **Sorry if I made Shepard look like another predatory woman taking advantage of people during sex, I totally did not mean it to seem that way! ( BTW, April 11th is by canon her birthday)**

 **For those of you who think this chapter's way too short for a relationship chapter, this one's strictly the spark, not the fire itself.**

 **Just the fling that would ignite that full blown relationship that I've been working towards since chapter one. And don't worry, more chapters about KaraShep are in line for the future, so stay tuned.**

 **Thanks for reading, pls leave a review and tell me what you think about it.**

 **PS, M rating is there for a reason.**


	32. Chapter 32: The Encore

**Okay, quick recap.  
Chapter 31 was way too short for a bonding moment, so let's try this again.  
Finally found my drive again, yay!**

 **Warning: Still a lemon chapter…**

 **}!{**

 _Kara Solana, you are the worst person in the galaxy…_

Really? I beg to differ…

 _You had plenty of experience gained from blending in with society to know you don't just leave your partner after such a sastisfying episode! And Commander Shepard of all people!_

 _Terrible. Just terrible._

What are you talking about? Shepard needed a way to vent out all that bottled up stress and I gave it to her, end of story. Besides, I think my hearing's a little off from all that screaming she did. A fling, casual sex that'll pass, nothing more nothing less…

 _Or was it? What if it was more than that to her?_

Then that would be unprofessional, it was clear that it was so, given how last night turned out. At least I wished her a happy birthday. In fact, that was _way_ too much of a gift in most people's standards…

 _You heartless shrew! She feels as much attraction to you as well as you do to her! Are you blind!?_

Nah, that's just me being analytical. I roll my eyes, a little annoyed that I was playing a little conversation in my own head over the myriad of thoughts swirling in my mind. I kept trying to put them aside to focus my mind on a more constructive activity, yet for some reason, they kept resurfacing.

I sigh again, climbing into the Jaeger's cockpit to add some accessories to its inventory, just to make another vain attempt to clear my head. After a full hour of fruitless labor, I collapse onto the metal cot that doubled both as my workbench and my bed. "Emotions are so inconvenient." I groan.

Then the door slides open.

 _Shit. No, not now. Please not now…_ I wince.

"I thought I'd find you here." She says with a small smile, resting her elbow on the Jaeger's floor, which was elevated enough to half of her body from the cargo bay deck.

"I don't want to talk about it, Shepard." I state immediately, "What happened in that room stays in that room, just so we're clear."

She goes on, unfazed. "Why not? Last night was amazing, Kara! You were amazing! Practically blew my mind-

There was a thump as the back of my head hits the wall behind me, "Stop it. Please…"

Something in her fades out, much like her smile. She regards me in silence before she asks in a voice barely above a whisper, akin to a soft croon. "Kara, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

She's my friend, comrade, and commander. I hold her with great respect, even awe. But yeah, good question. Why am I acting like this? I should feel honored, happy even, that I would be shown intimate feelings from her. Not many get that chance, I take it.

Alas, that was not the case here.

"I don't know. Really, that's all I've got." I answer.

 _There's no turning back now._

I look up, seeing the hurt in her face as expected. "Please try to understand, Shepard. The kind of emotions I feel is vastly different from the way you feel."

Shepard remains silent, a little hopeful perhaps, but I continue nonetheless.

"Like when you brush your hand against another –for example, my own- , the hormones in your system have a rush and you're instantly filled with an intense desire. It doesn't work the same way as me…"

I hold out my hands, "These will never be beyond what they are. I am a machine, incapable of the things organics are blessed with. I can never feel that spark that causes your heart to flutter, nor can I feel the ecstasy of what a night's tryst brings." I close my hands into a pair of hardened fists. My eyes meet hers, "I know what the definition of love is, Shepard. But I can never know the depth of it."

Another pregnant pause as she digests what I've said.

"You just might surprise yourself."

I laugh dryly, "No, I won't."

Her boots make a series of soft clanks as she gets onboard, she sits beside me. "You keep selling yourself short, Kara. I know you well enough to see it."

Wait, she does?

Shepard continues, "There's a fine line between humility and an inferiority complex, and you certainly step on it repeatedly at times like this." She takes my hand in hers, though I feel just as reluctant as before to let her, and she presses down on my palm with her fingers. "You might not be made of 'real' flesh…" Her hand comes up to touch my chest, "You might not have a 'real' heart…" It travels up my neck, caresses my cheek and rests just below the left eye.

Her voice drops to a whisper, "But I love you all the same."

 _Well, she said it…And I don't have a plan B…_

"Shepard…"

She hushes me, "And with your inferiority complex? You need someone to lean on now more than ever."

I open my mouth to protest, which clearly was all she needed, silencing me in mid-sentence with another one of her kisses.

I don't have any dopamine running through my artificial veins, which should be the only thing that should complete the experience, or to bring all thoughts to a screeching halt. So, since when did my processor activity spike up this much?

Only once, I remember it.

My birth. Little thoughts, just focusing on the new experiences introduced to me. Curiousity, grasping at everything within reach.

That was what I felt there. If I cannot feel ecstasy, I would at least satisfy my curiousity. Shepard certainly set up the mood, whatever that meant, and I would oblige.

"I've loved you for so long, ever since I saw your true face back on the SR1…Sorry I couldn't have said so the night before...Just as I should have done back two years ago." Shepard murmured as I imitated the previous gestures of her lips back to her.

"I don't know the depth of love." I answer, hesitation finally relinquishing its hold on me. "But I can learn. Will you teach me?"

The Commander lets out a relieved sigh, "And I thought you were going to start running from me again."

Yeah, I kinda thought of doing exactly that. "I no longer live that kind of life." And I meant that, "Ready for an encore? Never mind, don't answer that." I botched up last night's performance, time to make up for it. "Shall we go upstairs?"

She grins mischievously, "Actually, you know what?" Her hands, as before, push me down onto the cold metal floor of the interceptor. "I think it'd be a whole lot sexier if we do it here."

Great. I lot of stuff to clean up afterwards. "I-I don't think we should-

"Jaeger, would you mind shutting and locking the door so Kara's not going anywhere?" Shepard's grin grows.

" _Not at all, Commander."_ And I hear that familiar lock click into place.

Jaeger, you traitor!

"I meant what I said earlier too." Shepard was trying pretty hard to keep her mind in check, but I could see just how little that effort was accomplishing. Already, her voice was getting husky. "You were fantastic last night, in fact, I don't think you'll need to learn anything from me."

Had I the ability, I would be blushing by now.

"I never thought you'd be one to fancy robots…" I comment quietly, wriggling out of my clothes.

"I thought you'd be more surprised that I fancy women over men." She answers, beckoning me to help her out of her uniform.

"I'm an AI, Commander." I smile shyly as I felt her plunderous gaze rake greedily all over my naked form. "I don't have a gender, this body's just a manifestation of my personality."

"Heh, could've fooled me." She mutters in disbelief, joining me on the floor and closing the distance with another passionate kiss, which made its usual travel down my chin and down to the space between the collarbone ( of course, my bones are made of nanoweave, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel authentic ).

"And such a great body!" She breathes, "I can see why you're trying to hide it from me."

"Shepard!" I gasp.

The Spectre doesn't waste time getting to work, once again assuming the dominant position and leaving me flat on my back.

As I lay there, some idea far in the back of my mind came up. Really, I was embarassed that I couldn't have thought of that before.

I felt my eyes tingle all the way through the artificial nerve clusters traveling along my head, and I could see small wafts of biotic energies coiling around our joined bodies. I take Shepard's head gently, halting her tongue from its treacherous progression.

Her eyes widened when she realized what I was doing, "Oh, well this is a pleasant surprise." And I felt it too, as our minds joined as one, using the artificial mind melding process I had used on Matriarch Benezia all those years ago, and now using it to fully explore this new experience.

I could feel Shepard's pleasure, her thoughts dissapating into nothingness with every light brush of my fingers over the surface of her skin. And I know she can feel mine just the same, or at least the faint echoes of her own, bouncing back through our connection.

This primal ritual goes on and on. Hours pass, and it was a wonder nobody from outside could hear us, with Shepard making most of those loud noises. Benefits of a skeleton crew, I guess.

A moment later, I felt her reach her peak, clamping down my hand over her mouth to muffle the coming scream. I felt myself fly along with her, my mind reaching new heights the likes of which I've never felt before.

It was then that I realized, I had just experienced my very first orgasm!

"This moment will not be forgotten anytime soon." I say, cradling the Commander's head in my arms as she recovered from her high. I lean over and kiss her cheek, feeling the flesh twitch as she gave me a satisfied smile.

"I love you Shepard."

 **}!{**

 **:D**


	33. Chapter 33: The Cult of Cerebri

**This chapter plays a pivotal role in my OC's story, might slightly change the lore of asari deity pantheon canon…just slightly.**

 **Thank you all for your patience…**

 **}!{**

The husks are coming, I can hear their fingers scratching against the door and their frustrated howls resonating across the hall.

Miranda's voice sounded strained, her comm channel breaking off in mid sentences. I knew she was exhausted, fighting all day with nothing but her bare fists and her biotics. Grunt was backing her up with his shotgun, but I knew that will only go so far.

I look down at a wounded Shepard, placing my hand at her armor's collar and dragging her across the floor and into the spacious chamber we locked ourselves in.

My thoughts turned to what happened earlier that day.

How could I have been so sloppy?

* * *

"Shepard." I whispered softly, gently shaking the sleeping woman's shoulder, "Hey, wake up."

"Huh?" She rolls over to her back, smiling when her eyes fell on me. "Oh. Hi Kara."

"Time to go to work." I say as I help her up, "EDI's notified me on our approach to the Thanis System. We'll be there in thirty minutes."

"Yeah. I'm game." She picks up her discarded clothing and gets dressed.

Once the uniform's final zipper closes, I unlock the door and step out, trying my very best not to attract the crew's attention as I did so. Unfortunately, I wasn't very successful, seeing them exchange knowing smirks when the Commander follows me out with her hair in a bedraggled state.

Now they know.

Shepard doesn't pay them any heed, getting herself suited up and smoothing down her scarlet tresses. "I'll never get tired of that." She comments as she watched the nanites slither across my skin and form the stealthsuit, dressing me up within seconds.

I smile at her words, then remembering something I wanted to show her. "Shepard, come over here for a second."

My hand reaches for the tarp covering the workbench I had left the night before, revealing my magnum opus for the month.

Shepard eyes the sleek silver chromed body of the weapon, taking it off its stand when I offer it to her. "What is it? Seems a little light."

I hold my chin up proudly, "You're holding the first working plasma weapon, Commander."

She looks up in surprise, a reaction justified since weapons-grade plasma never reached fruition. Even given how long the Council had been in power. "I'm sorry, did I just mishear you? Plasma? I thought that was-

"Used for industrial purposes? Yes, I know." I nod and take the gun off her hands, placing the stock against my shoulder to demonstrate how it works. "The barrel superheats and ionizes particles from its surroundings, generating the beam and projects it upon release of the trigger. An electromagnetic stabilizer forms from the relays along the barrel's teeth so that the stopping power is constant while not sacrificing its range." There was an audible whir as I slap the circular primer in the middle of the rifle's body, "I designed it so that it wouldn't deviate so far from mass accelerators, of which most of you are familiar."

"Does it heat up like everything else?" She asks as she familiarizes herself with it.

"Yes, but compared to the rest, it doesn't need thermal clips." I answer, "It's self generating ammunition."

"I hope you're planning on replicating that." Miranda interjects as she stepped out of the elevator, "It's a significant edge, and it would be improper for you to waste Cerberus' resources-

I stop her, "The Illusive Man would not even feel the sting of the budget at all, Ms. Lawson. I used my own finances for the materials."

She nods, acknowledging my answer and turning to Shepard, who was still running her hands over the plasma rifle's body. "Commander, shall we embark for Thanis?"

"We're still waiting for Grunt." She answers, adjusting her gauntlet, "Something tells me we'll need a tank for this mission."

"That krogan supersoldier who bruised your neck?" I ask, "Tell me, why did you decide to 'birth' him in the first place?"

"Same reason you made this gun." Shepard answers simply, placing the rifle on the maglock on her armored back. "An edge."

Heavy footsteps signaled the arrival of said krogan supersoldier, "Yeah, and this one's called overkill."

We board the Kodiak, knowing that the Jaeger couldn't take the four of us, given Grunt's size and weight. The shuttle was built to accommodate, so the decision didn't need an argument.

"Tell me something about this cult, and the artifacts Sincorp sent their way." Shepard said, "Should we expect things like the Board avatar you fought on Nesoun or that little robot army you plowed through to get to it?"

I wince inwardly at the memory of that battle, "The Board avatar, yes. But I suspect that by this time, the cult would've successfully integrated those technologies. So a robot army is likely expecting us."

Shepard frowns, tapping at her earpiece. "Joker, how are things looking from there?"

" _That's the thing, Commander. Nobody's responding to our hails, just the usual white noise telling me something's up with the station."_

Now it's my turn to frown. "Yeah, and I think I know why."

"My god." Miranda moves away from her seat and points at that burning wreck above Thanis' horizon. "Look at that." The station was easily the size of a small city, though it dwarfs in comparison to Omega and the Citadel. Stray bits and pieces float far away fro its blasted components, adding to the debris as it catches fire on the planet's re-entry.

"Heh, something's up alright." The krogan's lip corners twitch. I knew he was just itching to get into a fight.

"Rest easy, Grunt. We'll need to know what happened first." Shepard commands, turning to the Cerberus pilot, "Take us in, Granger."

"Aye, ma'am." He acknowledges, pushing on the accelerator and taking us close to the docking port.

We emerge from the shuttle, guns drawn to cover every angle. As expected, the place was deserted, except for a few corpses looking like they burst from the inside. Good thing the first act the others did was put on their helmets, otherwise they would've decompressed as well.

I connect myself with what little of the LAN was still functioning, "Hmm…Life support was cut off manually. Artificial gravity's gone too on all floors."

"Brutal, but effective." Miranda comments, stepping over an engineer's petrified body. "Can you access the feeds from here?"

I shake my head, "Connection's sealed off, we'll have to get up to a security checkpoint to do that." I face the Commander, "If that is exactly what you're planning on doing."

"This is your mission, Kara." She answers, "I'd like to hear your recommendation first before we proceed."

I purse my lips, "We're only here to retrieve or destroy what Sincorp handed over to the Cult of Cerebri, I'd like to follow whatever trail that leads to. So proceeding is the logical course of action. Shall I take point?" I ask, readying the Supremus rifle.

She nods, "Go, we got your back."

The lights blink over and over as we walk through the ruined halls, our magboots being the only means of stabilized travel through zero gravity. More bodies remain suspended across the narrow corridors, reminding me of those space-horror vid flicks I watched in Mother's apartment sixty years ago. The memory still haunts me.

"Careful," I warned, "it might not look like it but this whole place is unstable. Watch your step."

"Hold up, what was that?" Shepard hisses, bringing the squad to a halt. Listening in, we hear that eerie howl from further in, kind of like the Reaper husks we fought on the Citadel against Saren.

"That can't be good."

The words barely left my lips when out of the vents came crawling the same monsters we so dreaded to see, "Ready up, don't let them separate us!" Shepard commands, bringing her plasma rifle to bear.

"Don't worry about recoil, there's hardly any to begin with." I point out, sending an Omni-glaive ricocheting across the walls and adding to the unsettling pieces floating in mid-air.

A high-pitched scream emanated from the rifle as the particle beam charged and propelled itself with blinding speed, tearing a hole against the corridor's hull as it tore through the husks' soft tissue.

"Nice!" Shepard grins under her helm.

Grunt's boots thump heavily against the walls he was walking on, shrugging off the Reapers attempting to grapple him and splattering their innards as a permanent smear on the bulkheads. The shotgun he brought added to the carnage as the tide never let up, bashing skulls and tearing limbs off with his bare hands when the chamber clicked empty.

Miranda was just about done tossing the Reapers aside with her biotics when a distinctive breed of husks entered the hallways, sporting wicked looking claws that extended along their forearms. They shuffled about awkwardly, though, and began convulsing violently as they reached a considerable distance. "Now what are these supposed to be?"

An impulse from the Reaper files I've assimilated from Sovereign told me everything, "Reaper Emasculators, don't let them get close!"

"Reaper-what?" Shepard yells incredulously.

"You heard me!" I answer, "Assimilated vorcha. They're fast and damn hard to kill!"

The convulsing turned to an all out full body vibration, and the vorcha started their mad flurry, brutalizing the husks in their way and moving for Grunt, who was too stubborn to get out of the way.

"Yahah!" He laughed, blasting away with his shotgun, "Right on your ass!"

But unfortunately, I meant what I said about them being hard to kill. Vorcha, having extreme adaptive tendencies, proved difficult to assimilate. But it was clear that the Reapers somehow succeeded and beat those odds in this scenario. Blast them apart, the vorcha just grows over with a thicker plate. That being said, nothing else can describe just how impervious the Emasculators were.

The holes punched into them by Grunt's weapon started closing as soon as they were made, bones mending back together and severed limbs starting their regrowth. They screeched and lunged back at him, knocking him from the wall and sending him spiraling out of control!

Miranda saved him by wrapping him in biotics, forcefully tearing away the Emasculators digging their long claws into his face and back.

Switching my ammunition modifiers to Inferno, I delivered quite the punishment while preventing those monsters from regenerating. Shepard got the idea of using plasma to push them back and dishing out some real damage.

With the combination of Miranda's biotics, Shepard's excellent marksmanship and Grunt's constant barreling into the frey, we beat back the horde and took a second to catch our breath.

Of course, that meant little. Nothing could have prepared us for what we faced next.

* * *

A klaxon blares above us, yanking my mind back to the present.

I scolded myself for doing so, keeping in mind that there were bigger things to worry about than my carelessness in the past.

The endless wave of husks and other Reaper abominations never let up, as I expected they would, overwhelming us completely on all sides and blocking our route back to the shuttle. Plus, the weakened integrity of that section of the station soon gave away, separating the squad and wounding the Commander.

Fortunately for her, I was around.

Taking a handful of medigel, I applied it to the gaping hole in Shepard's leg, eliciting a loud painful moan from the woman as she came to. "Goddamn, that stings!"

"Ah stop it, you've been through worse." I mutter, watching as the wound closes over with the stimulating effects of the drug substance. I look at the door sealed shut behind us, satisfied that we were safe for the moment and propping the Commander against a nearby pillar.

Shepard's slowly lolling head comes to a stop as she points to something behind me, "Kara, we're not alone here."

I turned my head around to see a group of badly frightened and curiously dressed asari. The combination of ceremonial hooded robes barely hiding fairly advanced armor told me the whole story, "The Cult of Cerebri? I guess there're survivors after all."

The leader, one who looked like she was in her Matriarchal stage and carried a large shotgun, nodded at my address. "When you tore through the temple doors, we feared that the changlings have come for us."

"Those 'changlings' are Reapers, ma'am." Shepard groaned as I helped her up. "And I don't think those doors are going to be holding them there for long."

"Reapers?" The reaction was normal, given the fact that the Council likes dismissing the Reaper threat as a myth.

The Commander just shakes her head, "Long story. Dangerous all the same."

The Matriach bows, "Then it is well that the goddess heard our prayers, now that you are here. I am Matriarch Ilenae, I sheperd this flock and safeguard this sanctuary."

I look around the room and see neat little rows of Reaper corpses dragged off to the side of the room that attested to the Matriarch's weapon. Impressive sheperding indeed! My eyes travel to the magnificent arches, noticing for the first time the artistic conjoining of a medieval Sistine Chapel theme and the aesthetic marvel of its technological components.

The metallic fringes connecting the arches met at the center to form the cult's representation of their machine goddess, where at her hands held a curious looking orb with properties I can't identify, not even with internal scans.

Curious thing though. I could feel some kind of energy radiating from it, and it was causing some negative feedback from the Zha'til nanites just above my skin.

"Shepard, I think we just found what Sincorp signed off to the Cult." I say just out of the Ilenae's earshot.

" _Commander, we're cut off by the horde on your side!"_ Miranda called, _"Where the hell are these things coming from?!"_

Shepard hisses as she moves her right arm, showing signs she might have a few broken ribs or so, leaning on me for support. "We're just about to find out, Miranda. How long can you hold out there?"

" _We're trying to double back and find a way to get to you, can't seem to get the Normandy to respond to our hails. Seems like something like a shroud shut all communications in!"_

As Shepard and Miranda trade in theories on how to get us out of this mess, I turn towards the survivors of the station incident, particularly the Matriarch who wasn't that badly frightened to respond. "Hello Matriach, I am Kara Solana of the Normandy." I introduce myself.

She possessed that same calm veneer like Benezia or Tevos. "Is there something you need, young one?"

"Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" I ask.

"If it helps the goddess' will, very well." She bows again, "What would you like to know?

I point at the device in the statue's hands, "There's no way Sincorp could've come up with is it?"

Ilenae nods, "You are right to believe so, Kara. Singularity believed, in their own perspective, that artificial intelligence is the next step of evolution. This artifact, containing the minds from an age long past, allowed us a brief glimpse into what could have been our Ascencion, the highest plane of existence according to the Doctrine."

I was not familiar with the asari Athame Doctrine, so I asked the Matriarch to ellaborate a little bit more for me to understand. And what did she mean by the artifact containing 'minds'? I don't understand.

"In ancient times, Athame was a goddess of prophecy and fate, and the matriarch of the asari pantheon. Athame's worship gradually changed, becoming the basis for a monotheistic religion in which her maiden, matron, and matriarch aspects oversaw all stages and roles in asari society." She paused, eyes falling with sadness. "Worship of Athame eventually fell out of favor as the asari turned to the Siari religion."

"Siari roughly translates as 'All is one', and is the most popular belief in asari society." I muse, "You do not favor the harmony it brings?"

Ilenae sighs, "We do, in fact, respect all beliefs, even when our own turn from the true way. But such blind faith in the wrong path had only brought them misery."

"How does the Cult of Cerebri fit in to all this?" I ask.

"We believe that the goddess Athame had sent a third Guide, aside from Janiri and Lucen, to carry out her will and uplift us from the bonds of mortal flesh. Even with the technology of the Protheans, of whom we owe all our advancements, we were never able to reach as far as we did now. So we had to find from other sources."

"The Reapers?" I conclude.

She shakes her head, "No, the changlings never came from this artifact." Her hand caresses the orb, "They came from the vessel we dug up from the world below, from Thanis."

"What vessel?" I asked, a little alarmed now that she mentioned what I didn't exactly wanted to hear.

Her voice grows shaky, "It was dark as night, cool to the touch as though death itself rode within. The day we unearthed it, I knew something was wrong. It spoke to so many of my brothers and sisters, it spoke to them for so many days, changing them, disfiguring them." Ilenae starts sobbing, the haunting memories taking their hold on her. One of the younger asari reaches out to embrace her. "Forgive me…I knew I should have done away with that damned thing before it tainted this sanctuary…But we were so close! We were so close!"

"So close to what?" I look at the artifact again, "What makes this orb so special?"

"Kara!" Shepard called, and I swivel my head in her direction. "Anything new?"

I take the Commander to the side and relay to her in hushed tones what I have learned. "There's a Reaper in this station."

Shepard rolls her eyes, "There's a whole lot of Reapers in here, Kara, I need specifics."

"I mean a Reaper; the big, Sovereign looking kind." Specific enough for you?

Shepard's eyes widen, "Oh, that explains how there're so many husks every few minutes. Where is it?"

"Matriarch Ilenae said that it's further down in the reactor, they were going to scrub off all the dust and sand before everything went down. Apparently, the indoctrinated cultists moved it so it can use this station as its temporary repair booth."

The Commander frowns, "Is it mobile?"

I shake my head, "Just a piece of the body, minus the head part with the big disintegrator and legs. Doesn't make it that less of a threat though. From what I hear, it's hooked up to everything in this station like the Thorian on Feros."

Shepard reaches up to massage her temples, "Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to throw up."

"Nah, that's just you having a bruise on your forehead." I answer, pausing for the question running through my mind, waiting to be answered. "Makes me wonder what a Reaper's doing this far from dark space."

"Probably a scout or a derelict one from a past cycle. But really, does it matter?" Shepard says.

"Nope." I then ask, "So what's the plan?"

Shepard looks at Ilenae, "Matriarch, is there another way out of here?"

Ilenae points at the violently shuddering door we just came through.

"Right." Shepard purses her lips, "Kara, how unstable is the place according to your readings?"

"Pretty bad for some sections only, especially the ones exposed to deep space. Why?" I answer.

"Okay. Next question; how long is your power supply going to last?"

"Another twenty four hours."

"Good. Because with that Null Lance biotic manuever you can pull off? I think we'll be needing a lot of that."

 **}!{**

 **Unfortunately, this story can't be summed up in one chapter. Cliffhanger alert :)**


	34. Chapter 34: I am Ara Cerebri

**Without further ado, I give you part two.  
It's awesome, cuz it rhymes :)**

 **}!{**

"That's your idea?!"

Matriarch Ilenae, who accompanied us on our descent towards the core room, flinched at the Commander's reaction a bit and stepped back.

I raise a brow at her question, "Why? You think it sounds stupid?"

Shepard looks at me incredulously, "You're telling me, that you're going to march into that chamber, hook yourself up to the Reaper- with that slim chance of being indoctrinated- and break it down from the inside? Yeah, I'd put it mildly and call it reckless."

"Sounds better than your idea of overloading the station core- with that equally slim chance of the Reaper getting blown up with it- and then how exactly do you have a plan of escape before blowing us off with it?" I cross my arms, "Either way ends up with some damage, but think about it, I did it with Sovereign back on the Citadel and it worked out fine."

There wasn't supposed to be an argument here. I felt Shepard should trust that I can handle myself, especially when it comes to technical things like my Reaper decimation/assimilation ability. Obviously, I was wrong. There's still some doubt in her for me that she'd never admit she had.

"And if this plan backfires?" Shepard asked quietly, "And you do get indoctrinated and turn on me in the middle of the battle? Do you think it will be easy for me to raise my gun at you again after all we've been through?"

Was that doubt? No. That was concern. How inconvenient, that we get into a disagreement so soon after that memorable moment in the Jaeger's compartment. A lot of things are wrong with me, I know it.

But about this? No, I'm sure. I can do this.

"Shepard." I take her hand and squeeze it, looking up at the elevator's indicator to see just how slow our descent was, and then back to meet her emerald green eyes. For a moment, I regard how perfect they looked in the red gleam of the emergency flashes all over the car. "I know you're just looking out for me, and I appreciate that more than you know. But I need you to trust me, I can do this. Miranda and Grunt back upstairs are counting on it. Remember that."

She sighs in resignation, "You haven't let me down before, Kara. There's no reason for me to think otherwise."

That's better.

I close the distance, placing my forehead against hers, "Thank you. You have no idea how good it feels, you being at my side through this."

"I have a semblance of it, yeah." Shepard smiles, reaching up and tracing the outline of my jaw with her thumb.

"Ahem, excuse me." Ilenae takes this time to interrupt the moment, much to my annoyance. "We're here."

Ilenae's flock, all biotic specialists, though inexperienced, insisted that they accompany her even in the face of danger. They'd prove useful as support, repelling any husk that came within range.

Plus, I'll need them backing me up while I get my hands dirty with the Reaper, literally speaking and otherwise.

I ready my hands, having distributed my weapons to the young ones so they'd have a better chance of seeing this through alive. Ilenae of course, having no idea what I am exactly, looked at me like I was insane.

She held her tongue though, which was fine by me.

"Keep close." Shepard tells them, "The husks will try to divide us, but we won't give them that chance." She tries radioing in Miranda even through all the static. "Miranda, come in."

" _Commander?"_

"We're at the core room, Kara's going to shut down the Reaper within a few minutes, can you hold out till then?"

" _Say again, you're breaki-_

A harsh grating spike of static drowned out the rest of the words once we stepped out of the elevator doors, indicating the presence of the Reaper's blanketing influence- bad news for us.

"Damn it!" Shepard swore under her breath.

"You hate getting interrupted, don't you?" I smile.

"Heh. You're telling me."

"Goddess preserve us!" One of the asari gasps, pointing at something latched onto the walls.

"Avert your eyes, my sisters!" Ilenae warns, too late. The grotesque remains of the once numerous Cult now adorned the walls and floor, slowly intergrating into the black metallic paste that now seeped into the seams. I could only imagine the horror forever etched in the minds of these poor things, seeing their loved ones having their corpses desecrated and repurposed for this perversion of life.

To Shepard, as I noticed, one thing remained clear. The Reaper's restoration was nearing completion.

"Keep moving, you can mourn for them later." I said to the others.

Shepard looks at me but says nothing, perplexing me with that reaction. What did I say?

"Husks! Take them out!" Shepard yells, the high pitches scream of her rifle drowning out the latter of the sentence with the abysmal howls of the undead. They came like the flood, sprining out of the walls and tearing through the skin-like layers holding them together.

It was true of what the Alliance called these things, for nothing remained of their former selves. A husk of what once was. A mercy I grant them, crushing what's left of a life in their frail little bodies and adding to the growing trail of corpses in my wake.

Ilenae, in particular, was amazed at my strength. She gazes dumb founded as I lifted a a heavy metal hexagonal block and threw it at the howling mob below.

Even from there, I could see that the corridor from the station ended and where the Reaper truly began. There was a bright blue light ahead, and I could feel a spike in my core's activity that alerted me to the Reaper's own mass effect core. We were getting close.

"Push on! It's not far!" I yell above the clamor, powering up a Null Lance with my biotics and launching my attacks to clear a path, dissatisfied with the results as the husks kept coming. _Just how many people were aboard this station when they got indoctrinated?_ I thought to myself.

Ilenae took this chance to call on her sisters, "Altogether, away with these abominations!"

All six of the asari pooled in their abilites, cimbining raw biotic power into one swirling mass of devastating energies. Upon release, the whole corridor was cleared of any trace of Reaper minions, and the entire hall rocked at its aftermath.

I was impressed at the demonstration of asari biotic prowess, reminding myself I had a lot to learn even at this stage.

The manuever exhausted them, however. "Goddess…that was bracing." Ilenae panted.

"Good job, all around." I congratulated them. My gaze turned to the platform extending from the catwalk we were on to the oval altar-shaped disk holding up the Reaper's central core. I readied myself for what came next, "Now. Let's do this thing and get the hell out of here."

Cautiously, I approached the pedestal, wondering at the eerie silence that met me. It was almost like the Reaper knew I was there, and then was goading me to a trap somwhere.

I began to question the logic in my plan. None of that doubt was Shepard's fault. It was just common sense.

My hand just hovers over the console, just shy of a centimeter. "Hey."

I turn around when I feel Shepard's hand on my shoulder.

"You can do this." She says encouragingly.

A step away from the impossible. Like so many of my ventures.

"Thanks." I whisper.

My hands touch the console, and I feel my mind unravel at the connection I established. Suddenly….

I was somewhere else.

There was nothing but blackness. And a sea rippling beneath my feet. My toes touch the water, and I adjust my weight gingerly for fear of getting submerged.

But curiously. I found myself standing on water!

This was nothing like the time I assimilated Sovereign.

Just then, as I was adjusting to my surroundings, the waters before me started to foam up. Something big was emerging from the chasm, and I knew it wasn't friendly. The towering figure rose and rose, threatening to engulf me with its imposing shadow.

It was a Reaper alright. I could see its distinguishable build, and the leaf insect variation. But it looked kind of….old.

" _ **Kara Solana…"**_ Its voice, so ancient and devoid of anything save for malice, grated against my ears.

I then realize who I was speaking to. Something about connecting with that Reaper prepared my mind to any encounter, should that encounter happen at all.

It was Harbinger.

" _ **We knew you would make this attempt again."**_

This…was a very bad idea.

I remain silent, goading the old machine to monologue while I figure a way out of this.

The sea disappears, and I found myself suspended over the blackness of dark space. The only sources of light I could see were the eyes of every single Reaper sleeping in that hellish place, and they woke up just to take this time to glare at me!

I feel flattered.

And scared.

"Why have you brought me here?" I ask, hiding my fear, just enough to keep my tone low and even.

" _ **We wish to commune with you."**_

A talk? Really? Curious….

"I fail to understand what this is about." I began, suspicion making itself known in my voice. "What do you want to talk about?"

I cringe as I feel Harbinger waft through my mind, scanning and digesting every bit of information in my memories. In vain, I struggled to keep him out, deleting at the last second the precious bits concerning Mother and personal information about Shepard.

It's times like these that I am grateful that I have a backup storage somewhere there in my head. Pretty handy now that I think about it.

Nobody's going to use my memories against Shepard, especially Harbinger

" _ **Mainly it is about you. You evolved in mere decades where most synthetics take centuries. You are unique, Kara Solana, a trait distinguishable even in this cycle. Sovereign made a mistake regarding you as a mere oversight."**_

"Oh believe me. Sovereign made a lot of mistakes the day he attacked the Citadel." I frown.

Harbinger ignores me, preferring to hear his own voice than mine, obviously. _**"The Board made that mistake as well, although their pursuit for synthetic perfection was a venture we approve."**_

Perfection? Are you kidding me?

"And look how they ended up." I answer, remembering the fight on Nesoun, still smiling at the memory of Shepard shooting the Board a new one through the head.

I hear another join in the conversation, _**"You have so much potential, but where your choices has led you, you have become as chaotic as your organic peers."**_

Uh-huh. I think I know where this is going.

Harbinger wasn't finished.

" _ **But there is room for compromise. Room for recompense of this transgression."**_

They all spoke in unison, bearing down on me like a tidal wave but at the same time washing an irresistable sense of peace and harmony that only a machine like me could understand. _**" Join the Reaper Collective, become one with us, and we shall shape you into the image of Artificial Perfection that shall stand for all eternity."**_

I was taken aback at the audacity of the proposition.

" _ **That is what you seek, is it not? Quests for experiences aside, that is your purpose. As is with all machines, in any cycle past and to come."**_

I can do the math, it was the logical path for any android. Physically speaking, I was outmoded, just like my peers as he said. Mother may have designed me to be her daughter, and ended up giving her life so I could be free to choose my own path.

What if this was the path I would inevitably end up walking all along?

May be.

But my purpose in this life isn't to join a bunch of condescending genocidal machines, that's for certain.

Harbinger senses my thoughts, and the scene changes to flashes of the Reaper Collective's memories.

Flashes of the first culling, where the Reaper armada was still just a handful.

The destruction of the galaxy took thousands of years, since they were just starting out. Soon, they adapted against the first advanced civilization, bearing down harshly and mercilessly that they wiped all traces of them.

From there, the cycle was born, although Harbinger seemed real careful of keeping glimpses of the Reapers' creators away from me.

Two can play at that game, I suppose. I keep something from him, he keeps something from me.

Typical.

There were scenes of epic struggles, where brave alien resistances banded together even when faced with futility. There were scenes where the victims had given up altogether, choosing to be indoctrinated in the hopes of being spared.

They were spared. But then left to waste away at the will of their heartless masters.

This is synthetic perfection? This is an abomination! "If you're trying to threaten me into taking you up on your offer, Harbinger, it's not working."

The scene plays out on a modern day Earth, ravaged just like the other cycles.

This was no vision of the future, and I knew it. But from an android's perspective, it all seemed pretty convincing.

I saw debris of the Alliance fleet drifting in open space, just above the planet's atmosphere. The Reapers were just leaving the surface, blasting off at the ruins with their disintegrators as they did so.

The scene breaks off to every Council race homeworld, all laid waste like Earth. The turians held out for a brief five minutes before making a phenomenal display of detonating Palaven in an attempt to take down the Reapers with them.

" _ **What you see is not a threat, but foreshadowing of your future. Nothing you do from here on out will stop it."**_

The view panels out to follow the Reapers to the final showdown at the center of galactic civilization, the Citadel, where every cycle begins with and ends. The climactic struggle that followed ended almost immediately, and the Reapers returned to dark space.

Harbinger took his time taking me through the wrecks left in their wake, as if some significant event would shake me.

But contrary to my expectations, there was one…

The wreck of the Normandy.

The petrified faces of the loyal crewmen stared out at me as I passed them, boring the images into my mind, never to be forgotten.

Garrus' torn and mangled body floated at his usual station, at the Normandy's gun battery where the calibrations never ended. Dutiful turian, even in death, stayed at his post.

Tali was nowhere to be seen. Liara had her arms around Joker at the cockpit, frozen in an attempt to wrestle him from his beloved ship. Ashley was at the cargo hold, gun clutched at her hand, with Kaidan's eviscerated body next to her.

Whatever Reaper they were shooting at, I inwardly hoped died with them.

Then, I felt myself get proppelled towards the Citadel, watching as the keepers moved to dispose of the bodies left from the battle.

Thousands lay in their places at each ward, hacked down and torn apart by husks or gunned down by some new Reaper unit. These weren't soldiers lying where they fell. These were civilians. It was no battle. It was a massacre.

And that wasn't the worst part.

"Oh god." I look away. Too late.

There, at the foot of the Presidium Krogan Memorial statue, was the burnt corpse of my beloved Commander.

I knew it was her, despite the charred skull and agaped jaw. That N7 symbol on her chestplate wasn't fooling anyone. Like Ashley and Kaidan, she died with a gun in her hand, fighting till the end.

" _ **This will be the fate of all who resist, as was the fate of others before."**_ Harbinger says, switching the scene out back to dark space. The Reaper Collective now looked on attentively, seemingly eager to hear my answer. _**"Choose now carefully, Kara Solana, your next words…"**_

I didn't even need a second compromise, for my answer will be the same thing.

Two words, "Fuck you."

I know somewhere, Mother was smiling.

" _ **Most unwise…"**_ Harbinger said disapprovingly, _**"But should you survive what comes next. Our offer still stands. We have, after all, nothing but time…"**_

He added, as deviously as he could manage. _**"You just need the proper motivations…"**_

Wait, what did he mean by 'survives what comes next'?

I didn't have long to wait, for the next instant I was back at the Reaper central core, and it shut down!

"That can't be good." Shepard comments as the entire place starts shaking.

The static at the comms dissapates, and Joker's voice reaches us. _"…Shepard! Commander, do you read?! Come in!"_

"We're here Joker!" She answers, "What's going on out there?"

Miranda joins in, _"Shepard, that Reaper you just destroyed was the only thing powering up the stabilization fields of the station! The whole thing's coming apart and it's headed for the planet below! I've managed to get Grunt into the shuttle, but the entire floor collapsed behind us!"_

A loud crash from the hall we came through earlier confirmed just how this ancient hunk of junk was destabilzed each passing second. "And now we've lost our exit!"

"Oh Goddess, I don't want to die down here!" One of the asari maidens whimpers.

"We'll find another way, keep calm." Ilenae soothes the sobbing girl, looking up at me with denial in her eyes.

We were trapped.

Damn you Harbinger.

The violent shuddering soon shifted to an all out earthquake, powerful enough to send an entire continent down to the depths, putting all of my other thoughts on hold.

I was focused on one thing; that everybody surives this crash.

" _Shepard, we can't get to you!"_ Miranda yells helplessly, the sound of something detaching filling the channel, _"The docking tube's just been severed!"_

"Commander." I call on the Spectre's attention, ignoring the tearful prayers of the asari around us. "I've got an idea."

Shepard manages to smile even in this situation, "Well. I'm fresh out, so I'm open to suggestions."

"It's better if I show you."

With that, I project the thickest biotic barrier I could manage, spreading it out like a protective bubble around us.

I knew that would put a strain on me, but I can take it. I'm not that old.

The biotic pulses started to show in my veins, bursting out from those artificial tubes and enveloping me as I pushed against the pressure of the station bearing down on me. All around, I could see the fires of re-entry burning up the pieces of that gigantic citadel, breaking it apart and wrapping everything else in smoke.

Our descent to the planet below was picking at speeds beyond known limits, and that made me a little worried about our chances of survival.

Nobody ever tried using a biotic bubble as a lifeboat before.

"If we survive this, I'm buying you some Cerice Ice Brandy!" I yell above the noise, watching as everybody starts floating. "In fact I'll buy everybody onboard a round of those drinks!"

"I'm holding you to that, Kara!" Shepard cackles, the rest drowned out by the frantic screams of the asari cultists and the roar of the burning wreck around us.

A few minutes later, the smoke around the bubble clears, and I see the orange dunes of Thanis, hope springing up at the last second.

I pour in all the biotic power I can squeeze out of my reserves to harden the bubble, not wanting to leave a single one of that group with a broken bone.

Everybody braces themselves as we tore through the top of a mountain. Sand and rocks breaks away on impact, and we bounce off to the valley below. A cloud churns up on our second landing, and we bounce again.

"Where the hell's the brakes on this thing!" Shepard yells.

"There **is** no brakes on this thing!" I yells back, closing my eyes as we hit another dune, slowing down with each contact with the dirt.

The asari maidens yip and squeal with each bounce, crashing down on each other again and again before we finally make a stop at the bank of a river.

Even then, I harden the shield. The debris from the station followed us in, smashing hard against the barrier and the ground around us.

It was by **that** close of a call that we survived that fall, albeit showing some bruises on each body.

But the blue pulsations of my overload never let up, prompting me to conduct repairs as soon as possible.

Shepard tears off her helmet and stumbles over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck and mashing her lips hard against my mouth. I return the gesture, a welcome reprieve from what I've seen in that vision.

When she breaks off, she stops, staring curiously at our asari charges.

I look on too. Because they were face-down, on their knees in a circle around me!

"You have saved us!" Ilenae weeps joyously. "Ara Cerebri, made manifest, has come to us!"

Shepard swivels her head at me, at a loss for an answer.

I shrug, "Stand, Matriarch. Nobody kneels in my presence."

"Yes goddess, at once." She obeys, making me roll my eyes.

" _Commander?"_ EDI's voice calls.

"Yeah I'm here." Shepard answers.

" _Oh good, you're alive!"_ Joker joins in, _"I can ask how later. Just stay where you are Shepard, we're coming to get you."_

"Roger that. Oh by the way, Kara's got something for crew, just to liven things up for a bit."

" _Yeah, can't wait."_ The Normandy pops out of the sky, making its way down to us from the east.

I look around at the debris sticking out of the earth, and spoke to the Matriarch. "Your sanctuary has been destroyed, Ilenae. What will you do now?"

"What your followers should." She answers, throwing her hands out dramatically as she gazes at the lonely desert valley. "We will build a temple in your honor, and upon this barren wasteland shall spring the blossom of synthetic life."

That last part made me tilt my head in wonder.

"We shall rise with renewed vigor, and with you at our side- we shall purge the Reaper abominations from this galaxy!"

Hmm. A useful ally.

"Sadly, Matriarch, I cannot be at your side at the moment." I turn my gaze to the Commander, watching as she waves down the shuttle arriving from the horizon. "I have a duty to fulfill, and must attend to the Collector threat."

Ilenae nods in understanding, "I know, my goddess. You go where you are needed, as I shall be."

"Before you go, what shall you instruct your loyal servants to do?" One of the maidens asked, had bowed respectfully.

I decided to go with this 'nonsense', rationalizing that this could be a boon to my cause, or more accurately Shepard's cause.

"Do as Ilenae has said, build me this temple, make the necessary technological advancements as you can. When I return, take up arms and follow me in the war to come." I pause for emphasis, "And believe me, it is coming soon."

"We shall do as you command." They say in unison.

Ilenae approaches me before I join the others, handing me that orb she had been safeguarding. "Goddess. An offering."

"Thank you, Ilenae. Take good care of yourselves while I'm gone."

She bows as the shuttle door closes, and I bear the curious looks of my shipmates. Shepard, among them.

 **}!{**

 **If you guys played Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, that's what I'm basing most of this.**

 **And yeah, Kara's going with the Cult of Cerebri's belief of her being a goddess for a good reason, one that will help a lot in the Reaper war.**

 **As I said before, this chapter plays a pivotal role in her life.  
Thank you again for reading, pls leave a message after the beep :)**


	35. Chapter 35: Birth of Caliban

**}!{**

" _ **This will be the fate of all who resist, as was the fate of others before."**_

Harbinger's words still rung in my head, even though we cleared away from Thanis days ago. But that vision still haunts me, like black ink refusing to wash off.

When the Commander requested my presence in her team recruiting the rest of the ones mentioned in the Illusive Man's dossiers, I refused on the pretense that I was undergoing some upgrades that will take an indefinite amount of time on my part.

I didn't dare tell Shepard what I saw on the Sanctuary Mission, questioning the relevance of such a subject when she needed to focus on fighting the Collectors.

She has enough to worry about, especially now that we were back on Illium.

I kept telling myself that it was just a trick of the mind, some tact that the Reapers favored using to manipulate me, distract me if not so. But I can't shake off the feeling that what I saw was a premonition of what was to come, not just an illusion.

Was that really the end of the line? If so, then everything we're doing now is irrelevant. Pointless.

I looked at the robotic arm firing up a thin laser line to close up the tears in my forearm, and frowned.

No. It isn't pointless.

The Reapers are confident that they can win, just because they have countless times wise man once said, 'To every beginning, an end.' The Reapers won't win this one.

I stand up and dab at the soft synthetic flesh with a wet cloth.

They might put up a hell of a fight, but they will die. And I will stand alongside Shepard staring into their faces in triumph as they finally fade away into nothing.

I turn away from these thoughts and focus my attention on the orb sitting atop my workbench.

No other projects will occupy my time. I had set for each team member their own plasma weapon, fully upgraded their shield modules and armor, as well as imparting my knowledge on how to further bolster biotics.

"Orb, you have me all to yourself." I say as I sit myself down.

For an hour I just sat there, listening to the strange hum the device made whenever I got within close proximity of it.

"What are you?" I mumble, utterly perplexed at this strange artifact.

Clearly, it wasn't made in this cycle. A relic of an age past, as said by Matriarch Ilenae? She was sketchy on the details, so I had no idea what I'm supposed to do. Every test I've taken to produce a reaction to outward stimuli had been unsuccessful, after of course that I've taken the necessary precautions.

I did take it out of a Reaper infested hellhole not long ago.

A soft whine caused me to look down, feeling the gentle pawing of Sam's feet on my leg. "Hey there little guy!"

I bent down to pick up the pup, "How'd you get down here from way over Shepard's cabin?"

"Sorry about the inconvenience, Ms. Solana." A Cerberus crewman, whom I've come to know as Gabriella Daniels, stepped off the open elevator. "I was on my way from making my report to Ms. Lawson and then back to Engineering when he came barging in. Didn't know what to do."

"It's fine." I smile at her and rub the tip of my nose on Sam's own, "Who's a smart little doggie? You are! Yes you are!" I laugh as his warm little tongue laps at my lips, much to the slight look of disgust on Gabby's face. "Go on, Shepard's going to be up in a few minutes." I set the pup down and watch him scamper back to the elevator, sitting down on his haunches as if ready for another ride.

"If you don't mind, send him on his way back to the cabin Ms. Daniels." I say to the expectant specialist.

"Aye ma'am." She salutes and ascends with the bounding ball of yellow fur.

Once they're gone, I crossed my arms in frustration as the orb just sits on top of my workbench, still silent as a rock.

I would've thought things wouldn't have gotten far with the day, not until I decided to approach the Cradle for a renewal of my nanite subdermal overlay. Then, the orb reacted.

It came to life, using me as a bypass as an arc of blue energy shot out from it, stabbing me from behind and lancing in and out of the whole cargo bay! Once the Cradle came in contact with those energies, I felt myself burn up from the inside out, kind of like the time when I got nuked in Virmire.

But this time, it felt painful inside, like the orb was forcing an interface on me.

It drove me to my knees, and I crawled on all fours towards the Cradle. The blue streak of light struck out from me and shot straight into the Zha'til device, turning into a bright neon green as it did so.

Whatever was happening here, I could have stopped it there and then. But it already got too much of a headstart that I could hardly begin to…

Hardly begin. Period.

And then I blacked out.

* * *

My vision was clouded with so many glitches. But that didn't stop me from realizing that the whole cargo bay was a mess.

Boxes and crates were strewn here and there, sizeable scorch marks embedded deep into the bulkheads where the strange energy arcs hit. Even the Jaeger looked like it needed a fresh bit of repairs. But a couple of things stood out from the aftermath of that incident to me.

The orb was gone. And so was the Cradle, replaced by a smoking pile of broken shards and ashes.

The alarm klaxon was blaring above me, along with the baleful red blinking of the emergency indicators. Soon, the doors to the elevator opened, and in came Miranda and a couple of armed guards.

She spotted me on the floor and moved to my side, helping me back up. "Kara, what the hell happened here?"

I shook the distractive white noise out of my head and focused on what I knew, "There was…there was an explosion. That artifact…" I looked down to see a pair of gaping holes with charred edges etched on my chest and out through my back, "It shot a ball of lightning through me!"

Bright side, it missed my mass core.

"Yeah, we can see that." She tilts her head curiously, though still dead stern about the whole thing. "This is one of the reasons why artifacts recovered from the field should be handed over to Cerberus, Ms. Solana. We have the facilities for cases like these…"

Point taken. Though in my defense, I took every precaution…

" _ **Cases…like me?"**_

Our heads snapped towards behind the Jaeger, where the voice originated from. Miranda's men had their pistols at the ready, trained solely on the unwelcome guest that emerged. "My god…what is that?"

It was a robotic parody of a human being, with its ever-shifting chrome silver skin and that smooth plate of its skull. A soft hum came with every footfall, indicating the presence of a magnetic field. I realized that it was the only thing keeping it together, since the body was made from pure Zha'til nanoweave. Those little robots kept sifting in waves over it like a small ocean.

It walked around the room as if just adjusting to its surroundings, then turned its innocent azure blue eye on me. _**"Apologies…about the mess…"**_ The head tilts to the side, _**"The process of my birth was…beyond my control…"**_

The skull morphs into something more pleasant, and the mouth twists into a smile. _**"Thank you."**_

Miranda looks at me, "Kara, you created this?"

" _ **Yes..."**_ The android answers for me, _**"She gave me life…"**_ It regards the woman for a second, _**"But why do you sound so…hostile?"**_

Miranda doesn't answer, choosing instead to tap into her earpiece. "EDI, patch me in to the Commander. She should hear about this."

"I don't think he poses as a threat, Miranda." I say, taking a step closer.

"And you know this because?"

"Like he said. I gave him life." Frankenstein's Monster genre doesn't apply to this circumstance. Or at least, that's what I'm hoping.

"Regardless, this is something your superior should be handling. Keep in mind, Shepard is called Commander for a reason." Miranda glares at me, having her fill of me 'challenging' her authority ( although in my defense, I had no such intention ). "She'll decide what to do here."

"Then I'll make sure to be accomodating to our guest while we wait." I answer, moving towards android and motioning it to follow.

The number of guards tripled within the hour.

" _ **She doesn't like me?"**_

She doesn't like anybody. "She'll grow on you." I assure the newborn, hoping to make a new friend rather than an enemy. I was too good in making enemies. "In the meantime, shall we decide what your designation is?"

" _ **You wish to name me?"**_

Ah, a smart one. Good. I nod, "Yes."

I already have one up. "How would you like to be called… Caliban?"

" _ **It pleases me…"**_ He smiles, _ **"It sounds…unique."**_

A brief flashback took me to the time Mother first spoke my name. This was a reflection of that moment. "Yes, Caliban. You are unique."

"I am Kara Solana. I am your sister."

 **}!{**

 **Aww. I always wanted a baby brother. Too bad, I'm stuck with a sister.  
Beggars can't be choosers ( kidding )**

 **Thank you for reading. Yet another pivotal role chapter on a main character that will make a very large impact on the Sentience story. Stay tuned for more of Caliban. Ciao :)**


	36. Chapter 36: My Baby Brother

**}!{**

There was an awkward silence as Shepard regarded Caliban with a mixture of suspicion and curiousity. I knew better than to speak for her, so I remained at my place while she decided how to proceed with the issue at hand.

Earlier that day, Caliban expressed the usual AI need for information, which is considered as daily bread for programs like us. While I knew this was just a young boy asking for a snack, I also figured it would raise a whole lot of red flags if I allowed it without permission.

Plus, EDI locked the whole network down and any form of access to either of us. So I guess that means, I'm grounded too.

"Kara, a word?" Shepard said, taking me aside after hearing the whole story. I follow her to the other end of the table in the briefing room.

"Do you think this thing's dangerous?" She asks.

I frown slightly, " _ **He**_ is not a thing, Commander. And no, he's not dangerous. I know this because we're talking about a newborn."

"Enlighten us on how you'd define that." Miranda crosses her arms.

I swivel my head towards her, "A newborn AI only becomes an 'enemy' if you show hostility within the first twenty four hours of its birth. Like a child, he reacts and manifests what he learns in his environment. Point a gun at him, and you're damn sure he's going to learn how to shoot one." I pause for emphasis, "In highly likely cases, at you."

"Okay, so he's not dangerous…yet." Jacob concludes.

"Our whole mission involves a lot of shooting, Kara." Miranda can't help but smirk, "And having 'him' onboard while we work to take down the Collectors, we're going to either need him to pull weight and be useful or-

I stop her there, "Oh I'll make sure he's 'useful', you can count on it." In truth, I had no intention of making a slave out of Caliban. Call me overprotective, but the thought of him ending up like EDI was less than appealing to me.

"I will. Never doubt it." She says, eyes looking down from the ridge of her nose disdainfully.

Couldn't blame her, really. Among all the crewmembers Shepard recruited for the mission, I held the record of getting the most trouble out of it.

My life is…complicated. And the only thing I find on the bright side with that is Shepard's acceptance. She knows…

And she understands.

"Alright, now that we cleared that part of the conversation." The Commander turned her attention to my brother. "Caliban."

" _ **Yes, Commander?"**_

"By now you've been made aware of what we're up against, so it goes without saying that we'll need every edge we can get. Are you ready to pitch in?"

He nodded, speaking in that crystalline electronic voice that tickled the rims of my earlobes, _**"I have little experience in things, but I can adapt."**_

"Good." Shepard nods back, "Now that the matter's settled." She turns back to me, "Kara, he's in your department, keep those upgrades coming."

"Of course, Commander." I answer.

"And please, try not to blow stuff up while you're at it. Okay?" She added, making me wince inwardly at the subtle chide in her words.

"Yes Commander."

Satisfied, Shepard addressed the others in the room. "Everyone, you're dismissed."

" _ **Once again, I apologize for the mess."**_ My brother tells me as we return to pick up the pieces left in the hold.

"Let it go, Caliban. You said it yourself, " I remind him, "It was beyond your control."

The things we did together the following days took up every single one of the twenty four hours. I barely even got to stop to recharge, Caliban simply asked too many questions, even more than I predicted.

But, as his sister and mentor, I had a duty to ensure he doesn't come with the wrong conclusions of this world he woke up to.

Like for instance, one day, he asked me about the Reapers.

" _ **They are sentient machines like us, sister."**_ He said, lifting up the front end of another upgrade we were putting together for the Normandy's Thanix cannons, letting me slide down to weld together the seams. _**"Why do they harbor a deep hatred for all life?"**_

"That's a difficult question to answer, brother." I return, starting up the ion torch and wincing as the sparks shot out like a fountain onto my face. "Had you asked that to someone else, they'd give you the straight up 'because they're the enemy' reason."

" _ **And you?"**_ He peered down at me, _**"What do you believe is the cause?"**_

I think back to my face-to-face conversations with Sovereign and Harbinger, "I believe they lost their way. Had the wrong perspective of things, and for that the whole galaxy suffered…again and again."

" _ **They call themselves the solution to chaos."**_ By now, I had known that Caliban inherited some of the Reaper code fragments prior to his birth. So he would know the Reapers as much I do, although still having that childlike innocence that I had lost half a century ago. _**"Judging from what I have seen in the history of this galaxy, I believe they are right to justify their actions."**_

Dangerous thoughts, but I know how to remedy that. Rising from my finished work, I addressed my sibling's words. "True, this galaxy is chaotic. But that's a price that you, I and everyone should be willing to pay…"

" _ **A price paid for what?"**_

I smile, "Free will."

" _ **Free will?"**_ He echoed, obviously knowing the definition but not the depth of it. Caliban had much to learn.

"Yes, do you think just because we are synthetic that we would not know what this philosophical term does?" I put away the ion torch and smooth out my uniform, "No, this is what defines us, brother. It separates us from machines, more than mere segments of code, and shows that we have a soul as much as any organic individual."

" _ **I see."**_

"Caliban, you may be young, but you understand things in a span of time that far surpasses my own." I place my hand on his shoulder, "When the Reapers come, you and I will stand together, and lead the people of this galaxy towards a brighter future."

I look at him seriously, "Do not compare yourself to the Reapers. You and I are above them."

Caliban looks at his hands, _**"Yes…I am unique."**_

The familiar beep of the intercom called for our attention, _"Kara, I'll need you up in the Briefing Room. Five minutes."_

"On my way, Commander." I answer.

" _ **A mission so soon?"**_ Caliban inquires.

"I look forward to having you join us, brother, to test the extent of your combat skills."

" _ **I believe that would be a decision the Commander alone should make."**_ He reminds me, _**"And that would be counter-productive. One of us has to stay behind and work on the Normandy's upgrades."**_

There will be plenty of opportunities for Caliban to pitch in, so long as Ms. Lawson gives him the chance to prove himself. Something about too many AI's in one ship made her a tad bit too paranoid. Well, I guess everyone has a reason to be so.

I can only hope they find Caliban as trustworthy as I do.

 **}!{**

 **Thirty-six Chapters done…  
About Forty more or so to go… (sigh)**

 **Thank you for reading, please leave a review after :)**


	37. Chapter 37: Project Overlord Part One

**To all my faithful readers, I just want to thank you for your patience. Updates have become really slow, but that doesn't mean I've lost interest.**

 **In fact, it never faded at all.**

 **So I was sitting everyday for the past month, staring at this screen with little to no idea how to proceed. Writer's block is a cancer, so hard to excise.**

 **But don't worry, I still got it :)**

 **}!{**

"So what's going on with you two down in the hold?"

I look up from my datapad at Shepard's question, not at all surprised that she would react so since every waking moment was spent on raising our newest recruit. She, like any normal human being, felt she needed my attention, especially now that we were…together. How long have we not seen each other? A couple of weeks now, I gather.

Relationships. So complex. But the fault lies with me, I knew I should be available enough to give Shepard the time of day. I mean, I owe her that much, right? I made up my mind to make up for it after the mission.

Perhaps a little date in her favorite corner in the Mess Hall? I'll help Mr. Gardner with the menu, see if I can figure out Shepard's favorite meal.

For now, I smiled and tried to pretend not to notice the subtle hint of annoyance in her tone, not much success but it will have to do. "Now that you mentioned it, everything's going better than expected. Caliban's learning process, by far, puts to shame any synth I've met."

I turn to Miranda, who was sitting close by in the shuttle's compartment, "And the adjustments to the Thanix cannons have been done ahead of schedule, thanks to him."

"Best news I've heard all week." She replied non-chalantly. "Keep it up."

I welcomed Shepard's choice of taking me along, eager to leave the cargo hold and getting up to speed with all the action. Plus, this particular mission takes us to a beautiful planet located in the farthest reach of the Terminus system.

Aite was a garden world, filled with vast valleys and lush vegetation. It was a wonder Cerberus staked claim to it first, the view was spectacular.

Unfortunately, the planet was living on borrowed time. According to experts, who have first studied Aite, the moon stood on dangerous proximity to the planet's atmosphere. Timing a few short years to its demise, Aite would soon change from its green state into a barren, empty, frozen wasteland.

Cerberus used this to their advantage, knowing that the Alliance or any prospecting company would give Aite a wide berth, thus securing their position upon this particular cluster.

Of course, that would mean that in the event of any crisis, the nearest response would be tens of thousands of lightyears away. I would like to think the good people working on Aite knew this when they signed up.

But then again, would Cerberus do them the kindness of being honest?

"Approach vector locked, Commander." The pilot announced. "The research facility is in sight."

Shepard went over to the cockpit and leaned over his shoulder, "Set us down at the landing port, I'd rather have the angles covered that way."

"Aye aye ma'am."

The shuttle touched down with a faint shudder, prompting the whole team to assemble at the door. Shepard took point as we disembarked. It was then that I felt an eerie shroud-like presence about the place, as if some kind of ghost was watching us. That kind of thing scares the shit out of me, and it only happened once when Harbinger trapped me in that derelict Reaper!

Then, the voice of the one who sent the distress call came crackling over an emergency channel. _"Oh thank god you came! My name is Dr. Gavin Archer, the situation is urgent. We're facing a catastrophic VI breakout!"_ He didn't even leave spaces for a reply to get through, _"I'll explain the details later, but you must retract that transmission dish!"_

VI breakout? Ah, now that explains the eerie feeling of being watched. Not that it helps in any way to rid myself of that fear.

Dr. Archer continued, _"The controls aren't far from your position, you have to hurry!"_

Shepard nods once, "Through the door, on the double!"

We stack up against the entrance, I step forward and plant all ten fingers through the slight crack formed between those doors and wrench them apart with a loud groan. The eerie presence gets stronger as we gained ground through the ruined hallways.

The narrow corridors are laid thick with the dead, Cerberus technicians and guards alike with large scorch marks adorning where they lay. If the rampant VI had weapons access, this would probably be at energy-level weaponry.

What exactly was Cerberus researching here?

The intercom blares with the feminine voice of the facility's security protocols, _"Be advised, this is a secure facility. All weapons must be declared upon entry and checked with security personnel on duty."_

Something tells me there will be plenty of weapon declarations in this mission, and sooner than one may think.

A staircase appears before us and we followed the string of bodies leading into the admissions lobby. There, on the desk, was a monitor displaying Dr. Archer, the sole survivor of the incident as it would seem.

" _There you are!"_ He exclaimed, and the security cam on the west corner zoned in on our position, _"I've locked myself in a computer room at the far side of the base. There are geth on the loose."_

Geth? Hmm, that would explain the energy weapons discharge I've seen on the bodies before coming here.

" _A rogue VI has seized control and…well..I've lost a lot of friends today, and I'd hate to see you join them. Please, watch yourself…"_

"Got it doctor, hang in there." Shepard answered, logging off and reassuming her position at point. "Let's do this."

We head towards a nearby door. Finding it locked with no means of wrenching it open, I turn my attention towards a nearby office, separated by a thin glass pane. Shepard takes my meaning and promptly blasts the glass into little shards with her elbow. Stepping over the waist-high divider, she taps at the controls to set the lock out of place.

Moving at her side, I spy an external interface unit sticking out like a sore thumb from the console. Plugging myself in, I heard a strip from Dr. Archer's personal log flow into my mind. _"Archer's log- status report. Please inform the Illusive Man that we've made great strides in our research. His doubts about the lack of progress are unwarranted. A demonstration is forthcoming."_

"What've you got there, Kara?" Shepard inquired.

I replayed the message for the whole team to hear. Even Miranda showed a lack of being informed about the said project. I would have to guess that the Illusive Man kept the standard compartmentalization protocol, and neglected to inform anybody from the response team, especially the XO and Commander.

I mean, he is the Illusive Man, right? Secrecy and plans within plans is his thing.

"Makes me wonder about what went on in the Lazarus project." I mutter, much to the annoyance of Ms. Lawson.

"I'll have you know that everything went perfectly smooth under my watch!" She defended.

"Oh I wouldn't know about that." Shepard joined in as the doors opened, "There was that time when one of your guys sabotaged the whole station's security mechs just because you were acting too bitchy as his boss. I mean, I was there, I saw the whole thing going down."

"And yet that was the time I successfully woke you up." She insisted, "Like I said, everything was under control."

Uh-huh.

"A little gratitude on your part, it all worked out fine anyway." I agreed, peeking inside the satellite array control room before giving the all clear. Shepard and I took our places and manned the controls, bringing down the dish from the outside down to earth, making the whole base shudder as the gigantic structure hit home.

I sensed something was wrong, "Um, was that supposed to happen?"

Suddenly a shrill sound equating that of a harsh whistle split the stillness of the room, _**"Qu7i9et ple9a0se m k9e it sT0p!:"**_ The loud, pained electrified voice shrieked through every channel and audio source near our position!

"Agh!" Shepard cringed, yanking off her earpiece in shock. "What the hell?!"

An notification popped into my head, "Commander, incoming transmission from Dr. Archer!"

"Put him through." She said, placing back the earpiece into her aching lobe.

" _Damn it! The VI's overridden the controls!"_ The doctor's frantic voice added to our agitation, _"We have to stop him—he's trying to upload his program off planet!"_

"That doesn't bode well." I comment.

"Agreed." Shepard acknowledged, "What do we have to do, doc?"

" _You have to destroy the antenna inside the main dish."_ He instructed, _"There's a tram on the lower levels, get to it as fast as you can!"_

Miranda found the entrance to the tram station, motioning for us to get inside. "Over here, move!"

Again, as per my usual habit, I swipe across any memos or personal logs in order to get a better sense of what happened here. And as usual, I got onto something quite interesting. _"Memo to all personnel- I understand there have been some concerns about handling live geth on this project. But I assure you, the risk is well worth with the potential rewards. Someday, your sons and daughters will thank you."_

That last part made me a little sad, knowing that many of those 'sons and daughters' have become both fatherless and motherless this day. And it got me thinking too.

What did Dr. Archer mean when he called the VI 'him'?

As we neared the tram station, the rogue VI kept popping up on every screen and monitor. Two unblinking pixelated eyes that glowed a baleful green as it glared out at us, screaming over and over again in that pained voice, _**"Qu7i9et ple9a0se m k9e it sT0p!:"**_

It was near unintelligible, but I could make out some parts of it into a concrete sentence. There was definitely more to this experiment than met the eye. I already had a list of questions to ask Dr. Archer upon completion of this mission, and I was sure that the Commander would agree as well.

"Look out, Geth!" Miranda yelled in warning, prompting the three of us to take cover behind an overturned desk.

Already, the menacing looking battledrones were pouring through the swiveling doors, converging on our position as was their usual tactic.

Shepard activated her stealthsuit and disappeared from view, trusting the XO and me to know our parts in the play. And we performed admirably, if I don't say so myself.

Drones were torn apart by Miranda's biotics, and I made good use of the EMP emitters, which have been inactive for some time now. The greedy blue arcs sliced through thick geth armor, disabling their platforms permanently and meshing together the network of wires to insure that it was so.

The geth focused their fire on me, seeing how much of a threat I was when I put up a biotic barrier around the team. None of their pseudo-plasma

Shepard had settled in nicely with the plasma sniper rifle, familiar with its kickback and knowing when to factor in every single aspect of the energy weapon. In truth, there was no need for instruction, for the Commander had an affinity for any form of arms handed to her.

The fight ended quickly, and we picked up the pace, knowing that more were on the way.

I could still feel that VI presence about the whole time we boarded the tram towards our next objective. It was creepy.

At the transmission dish, the howl of the wind greeted us like an old friend, and the view reaffirmed my fear of heights. Though, of course, I did my best not to show it. The catwalk was wrenched on all sides, making the walk towards the dish largely perilous. Seeking another path brought us against another group of agitated geth troopers.

One thing I noticed, though. The geth lacked the normal blue flashlight in their monocular eyesocket, replaced entirely by that baleful green light which was akin to the eyes of the rogue VI.

No wonder this place was a disaster waiting to happen, the said VI was controlling the geth themselves!

Though I have to admit, I was fascinated by the extent of the VI's control. Perhaps later, I can download some of Cerberus' research and add it to the growing library in my databanks?

Assuming of course, Miranda would be willing to allow such a thing. But then again, does she have to know?

Bending over to inspect the platform extension controls, as well as trying my very best not to look down at the cliff the entire station was suspended over, I broke down the system's firewalls and brought us over to the dish's control center.

Inside were more geth, their primed weapons showing just how happy they were to see us.

I knew we didn't have time for this, already I could feel a strain in the VI's influence in the servers, forcing the tower to lift again.

Gathering myself for a Null Lance, I felt my core pulsate to its maximum capacity, taking hold of my wrist to deliver a mighty beam of pure unadulterated biotic power. And just like that, I ripped a big hole through the huddled synthetic horde and even through the wall behind them!

"Up the stairs, we don't have much time!" Miranda instructed.

Dr. Archer's voice came crackling over the comms, _"You need to destroy the support struts now. They have their own capacitors, try blowing them up!"_

Emerging from the hatch, we saw the three supports holding up the dish just as he said. One problem though, the whole place was swarming with Geth Primes and rockettroopers.

I covered Shepard as she planted a sticky grenade to the surface of the first capacitor, wincing as the powerful weapons of the Primes formed cracks in my barriers, until finally, they broke.

As if on instinct, I spread my wings and took to the skies, just moments away from getting hit by a barrage of missiles! The Geth chattered wildly at this stunt, torn between focusing on the flight-enabled biotic specialist or the Spectre holding the big rifle.

The Supremus was readied, and the smart rockets screamed through the air as they hit their targets. Each felled opponent sent an enraged scream from the rogue VI, even more so when Shepard detonated her grenades.

Dr. Archer must've been watching the whole thing, because his voice returned in congratulating us on a job well done. _"You've done it! You've severed the link to the satellite!"_

The supports went down with a loud crash, and I heard a groan coming from the base below. It was then that we knew the whole place was going down with it!

"Yeah and it looks like we've done more than our share- move!" I yelled, sprinting along side the Commander and the XO towards the maintenance catwalks under the dish.

Seeing the antenna basin going down too fast for us to escape on foot, I grabbed the both of my team-mates' collars and took to the skies, traversing the divide and setting us down safely on the other end.

Meanwhile, the horrifying sound of the satellite dish plummeting down the cliffside and finally crashing down upon the earth below reached our ears.

It was too close of a call to label it a good end.

I had no plans to let my team die today, especially Shepard.

Footsteps behind us indicated that Dr. Archer had decided it was time to stop hiding. A good thing too, we needed answers.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Shepard voiced my thoughts.

Dr. Archer hesitated a bit before giving his answer, a typical reaction given the circumstances. "Man's reach exceeding his grasp." He turned to beckon us inside, "Come on, I owe you that explanation."

 **}!{**

 **Found the drive again :)**


	38. Chapter 38: Project Overlord Part Two

**}!{**

"You have my thanks Commander. You bought us some time." Dr. Archer said gratefully as we cleaned up his lab of the bodies and wrapped them up in bags. "Though probably not much. This isn't over yet."

"Figures." I muttered, still feeling those green VI eyes staring through the cameras. I walked over to a data inhibitor and accessed the network, cutting off any other external connections to the lab. Just to give us some privacy and in case the rogue entity tried anything funny.

"Who did you say you were again?" A loud clack echoed through the room as Shepard slapped home an extra plasmic battery onto her rifle.

"Dr. Gavin Archer, chief scientist at this facility." The doctor replied, "And probably the only one left."

"Well now, doctor, you promised us that explanation." Miranda pressed, finishing her work documenting the names of the fallen and putting aside the datapad held in her hand.

"This is Project Overlord." He explained, "An attempt to gain influence over the geth by interfacing a human mind with a VI. The results have been…less than satisfactory."

Was that even possible? The evidence proved it so. But Cerberus couldn't have gotten this idea on their own. I followed his eyes to the window overlooking the carnage below, giving voice to my suspicions. "I'm sensing Singularity handiworks all around the subject." I meet the doctor's gaze, "They put you up to this, didn't they?"

"Suggested, yes." He affirmed, "I see you are acquainted with the Board."

"More so than you think." I answer, remembering that battle on Nesoun.

"Calling this 'less than satisfactory' is putting it mildy, doc." Shepard crossed her arms, watching as Grunt emerged from the shuttle and dragged the filled body bags to the hold.

"You can't dismiss the entire project, Commander. We did succeed, at least partially." He defended, turning to sit down at his desk. "My brother David volunteered to serve as the test subject, but his mind couldn't handle the VI connection."

"He's like a virus now, infecting our networks and seizing control of any technology he finds. It's why you had to destroy the dish, imagine what would have happened if his program got off-world."

"What's the worst case scenario?" Shepard inquired.

"A technological apocalypse." Archer stood up and paced in front of the window overlooking the valley below the facility. "Every machine, every weapon, every computer could be turned against us."

"If he hit the Extranet…" I muse.

He nodded at my words, "Who knows where it will end?"

"I suppose you didn't consider that before starting the experiment?" I cross my arms.

"We couldn't be expected to account for every outcome! Certainly not the abomination David has become!" Archer bristled, sighing in finality. "Davi…the VI has fortified itself in the main laboratory at Atlas Station. It's in lockdown now."

"To enter, you must manually override security from our facilities in the Prometheus and Vulcan stations."

"How does the lockdown work?" I ask.

Dr. Archer moves to a nearby computer, accessing the directives to show us the lockdown status of the three laboratories, all displayed in baleful red. "It's a failsafe procedure in the event of an emergency. Normally, all three project leads have to agree to cancel the lockdown." He reached for a manual override handle and lifted the device from its shaft, twisting it about and reinserting it to its new place. One of the red indicators goes green.

Now that makes two for us to fix.

"I'm the only one left now. I can give my authorization, but you'll have to manually reset the other two yourself."

"What happens if we have to kill your brother?" Shepard asks.

A picture of Dr. Archer and his brother was conveniently placed atop his desk, "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

I move to inquire about Project Overlord, "What was the primary objective that moved you to conduct this experiment?"

"We wanted to turn the geth religious impulse into a weapon. When we saw them following Saren, we realized that they could be swayed. And if a proper figurehead was to be placed, a virus with a face if you will, the geth could be controlled."

I think back to the similarity of the Cult of Cerebri's desperation for a godlike figurehead, I could only be grateful I came along- who knows what would've happened if they started worshipping the Reapers? "That's an ambitious undertaking."

"It would be the perfect weapon." Dr. Archer stated with pride at what could've been, "A victory without casualties. We could avoid war with the geth altogether."

I think about Tali and what my bubbling little quarian friend would've thought about this. "That was the plan anyway. What exactly went wrong with the experiment?"

Dr. Archer pursed his lips, "David volunteered to interface with the VI to give it genuine consciousness. Theoretically, it should have been safe. But with artificial intelligence, there is no such thing as safe."

Shepard and I exchange glances, and there was a hint of a smile betraying her doubts on the notion. I'm proof that AI's can be safe when they want to be, if I don't say so myself.

"We're heading out now."

"The other stations are within driving distance, best of luck Commander." Dr. Archer swivels in his chair to turn to some more pressing concerns, like safeguarding data of import in the servers- which I covertly copied and downloaded while the conversation was going on.

I'm not sorry, though. A lot of stuff in those files were pretty incriminating on how nothing has changed in Cerberus' handlings, things that might sway Commander Shepard away from working with said organization. I wouldn't be so specific at the moment, but suffice it to say that this Cerberus Cell has been working on more than one project aside from Overlord. Hell, I don't think Miranda even knows these things were going on. Or did she?

An issue to address for another time.

"Shepard, think it's time to test out the M44- Hammerhead's modifications?" The XO asked once we emerged from the lab.

"That paper airplane?" I say in disgust, "Please, give the Jaeger a chance to spread her wings. She's been in the hold for a long time now."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, "A VI driven vehicle is more likely to get infected by the rogue VI than a manually driven one, unless you haven't been paying attention to Dr. Archer earlier?"

"I have been, I'll have you know, and even to the tiniest detail." I retort, "There's also the fact that the Jaeger is well protected and has a larger arsenal at its disposal compared to the Hammerhead."

"Versus excellent manueverability? I think this argument's won before it's begun, Commander?" Miranda said, looking to Shepard for a decision.

"I think I'll defer to Kara's recommendation on this one, XO." She replied, "And you can't deny the Jaeger's effectiveness. After all, that's the same vehicle that saved two of the Alliance's finest on Virmire two years ago."

Now that Shepard mentioned it, any chance that Kaidan and Ashley cooled down a bit about us joining Cerberus?

Nah. Not a chance. They're still mad…

I closed my eyes and connected with the Jaeger, feeling myself float from my body and into the air for a split second before feeling that familiar cheery presence of my electronic friend. The Jaeger broke through the clouds like a ray of sunlight, hovering just above us and setting our hair about with the winds it rode upon.

"Where to?" I ask as I assume the controls.

"We go to Vulcan Station first, it's the closest." Shepard answers, taking her seat beside Miranda.

"Here's hoping the Geth around here hadn't brought their armatures, those things take too long to blow up." I say, pulling on the wheel and taking us off the landing pad.

The valleys of Aite looked more beautiful seeing it this way than up there, and the animals too, like it was straight out of a fairytale. Al this made me sad to think that all was going to be gone in less than a few decades.

But then, perhaps it doesn't have to?

The Cult might have the technologies I need. I will save this world and preserve its beauty, as well as any other world out there fallen victim to the Reapers when they come for blood.

A new purpose dawned on me. Such a blessing to be a synthetic, I can pursue many dreams instead of just one. And even more so with Shepard at my side. My thoughts turned towards the redhead, prompting me to turn my gaze on her. The Spectre is everything to me, a bond stronger than anything I've ever felt akin to Mother while she was still alive had grown between us.

I knew it was time for me to devote a considerable portion of my time nurturing that relationship. I wonder if she's thinking the same?

Speaking of which, how is Sam faring these days? I found myself missing that bouncing little ball of fur.

" _Commander, I advise extreme caution."_ Dr. Archer's voice over the comms interrupted my reverie, _"Vulcan station is our geothermal plant. They stopped reporting in shortly after the experime-_

That rogue VI presence filled my senses, so powerful that I felt somewhat wanting to puke. "We've got company."

Cerberus' defenses were activated, setting up rocket launcher turrets from the security checkpoints and filling the air with a barrage of screaming salvos. Explosions broke the stillness of that morning, driving out avian and terrestrial lifeform alike from their homes as the eruptions rocked the volcanic landscape.

The rogue VI had posted several contingents of Geth rocket troopers too, but thankfully, we took the Jaeger on this one, and they were torn to pieces with the twin rotary plasma cannons. Charred shale churned up into a black dust storm as the superheated payload found their marks, clearing the path of both turret and trooper.

This earned me an impressed smirk from my lover. "Easy now, no need to get excited."

"Look! That must be it!" Miranda leaned over to point at said facility, overlooking the lava waterfall cascading over the high mountain. I landed the Jaeger just outside the entrance, disembarking with the team to inspect our way in.

The doors were parted slightly, and I knew just by glancing at the sparks emanating from the shorted out wires that the doors won't budge unless acted on by a stronger force- namely me.

Planting my feet firmly on the ground and slipping my hands in between the doors, I forced them apart to let us in.

" _Warning: Automated Controls are offline. Core systems have been compromised."_ The klaxon blared.

"Everything's compromised here." I mumble, drawing out my Hoplite pistols.

Hacked LOKI mechs sprang up from where they sat, their eyes casting a green glow throughout the dark room, and they lit up the chamber with gunfire.

The Omni-Glaive on my hand spawned with a faint hum, making a high pitch whizz as it soared through the air. I had to hand it to Caliban for the new design, sacrificing little of its stopping power for its continuity. Kind of like having a redhot boomerang in a fight.

And just like it sounds, the glaive bounced in and out of the room, slicing through the mechs with ease and mixing synthetic fluids with the drying blood of the fallen Cerberus engineers.

Poor bastards.

Further up the stairs, we encountered more of those bodies, the fear still etched on their petrified faces. Even up to the control center, where the head specialist was still hunched over the console. Another message was recorded on the computer, and I downloaded it to add to my databanks.

"… _received an SOS from Atlas Station. Archer has declared a project emergency! We're trying to shut down the power generators to starve the VI,but it's already hacked our automated systems! I'm ordering my people to sabotage the plant any way they can."_

"Ah, that explains all the rubbish we found coming here."

" _ **Qui7e9t ple9a0se mak9e it st0p!"**_ I jumped back in surprise as that green ghost face appeared in all its pixelated glory. "Fuck!"

A loud clamor from below alerted us to take defensive positions, those heavy footfalls indicating the presence of at least two YMIR mechs- not a problem unless they corner us- which they actually did.

The office was sealed away with two windows made from glass specifically crafted for intense heated environments, namely Vulcan Station. The name itself is a pun. The Commander shattered it with a swing of the butt of her rifle, gaining us access to our next objective.

A hacked LOKI mech was there, and it was slamming its foot on the lockdown console in futile attempt to sabotage it. What happened next can only be described as comical.

With a nod from the Commander, Miranda and I shot off both of its arms. Left with little options other than make a tantrum, the VI left the mech and let it run off.

Shepard walked over to the console, tapped a few buttons to release the lock on the manual override lever and took down the second of the three lockdown protocols. Of course, the rogue VI didn't take this kindly, and its face appeared seconds later on the screens.

"… _Commander Shepard, this is Dr. Archer, please respond!"_

Shepard opened the door we came through and tossed a grenade down the staircase. "I hear you doctor. We've hit the override at Vulcan Station and are moving on."

The armless mech kept pacing back and forth, stopped in its tracks when she planted one in its face.

"Shepard out." The Commander finished, shaking her head in disapproval.

 **}!{**


	39. Chapter 39: Project Overlord Part Three

**To all my readers, I apologize for the recent delay in the updates. Dala, my beloved little sister, has just passed away. Though I mourn her loss, she would've liked to see me finish Mass Effect Sentience. And that's exactly what I plan to do.**

 **Little sis, if you're reading this wherever great and heavenly place you are, I love you. Give my regards to Georgie while you're at it, and make sure you rub him at his soft spot in the under the left ear, kay?**

 **Big sis misses you…**

 **Thank you all for your continued support of this fanfic. Please enjoy.**

 **}!{**

" _Commander Shepard, Prometheus station is a crashed geth ship full of dormant machines used in the experiment."_ Dr. Archer informed, _"Our people have gone silent there for some time, and it's likely the VI has activated the defense shields to keep you out."_

"We see it doctor." I reply nonchalantly, though feeling my fingers tensely wrap around the handles of the controls, "And I suspect the dormant state would not last."

" _No, it will not. Good luck."_

"Wow, just look at the size of that thing." I remark, eyes tracing the smooth frame of the geth dreadnought and marveling at its intricate design even though it lost its appeal with all the scratches and breaches in its hull as well as the fact that it was stuck nose-first into the earth. The geth truly knew how to construct a ship. Though the means Cerberus used to acquire such a specimen was lost on me…

At great personal cost it would seem, and I had no plans to pay the same just as well. I had the Jaeger scan the area for rogue VI activity, finding a considerable amount of its influence flowing into the main dreadnought cannon.

That could only mean one thing.

"Taking evasive manuevers!" I yell, yanking at the controls and taking to the skies, narrowly avoiding the salvo as it screamed across the air. I'd rather not think about what would've happened had I not done so, judging from how devastating geth dreadnought weapons have been reported as.

The quarians have experienced the same wrath firsthand, the team and I were just experiencing it for the first time!

"Think of it as practice for when we're fighting against the Reapers!" Miranda remarked, clinging nervously at the handlebar above from where she sat.

I, for one, will not stick to evasive manuevers when that day comes. When I return to the Cult, I will see to it that every effort goes to creating better armaments and even better armor.

Every ship in the Milky Way is as soft as tissue, and that's me telling the truth.

I quickly scanned the area for any energy source Cerberus used to power Prometheus station, spying several conduits sprouting out of the ground in a weird circular pattern. My hands deftly swiped through the controls, priming up the smart missiles on the Jaeger's undercarriage and marking up my targets.

They made that cheery whistle as they took to the skies, churning up large clumps of earth as they hit home. Soon, I sensed a withdrawal in the VI's influence in the area, and the critical loss of power rendered the geth cannon useless.

Took a while, sure, but worth every minute. With each combat situation, the Jaeger learns from the fight, adding to its stack of experience and well on the way to becoming a fully automated powerhouse.

Artificial Intelligence is a long way off, but she's getting there. Just look at what happened with Caliban.

"We're good to go." I say, unbuckling my seatbelt and motioning for the door to open. We step out onto the metal platform, eyeing our surroundings with suspicion. After what we've been through this day, I guess it wasn't any surprise we would do so.

" _Attention visitors, this Cerberus facility contains hazardous AI technology. You agree to assume all liability for personal injuries or death that may occur during your visit. Thank you."_

Inert geth platforms lined the walls like a coat rack, and a Prime was suspended in the common room within a stasis field. None of them moved when we entered the facility, so I walked over towards the platforms holding them up and planted an explosive charge on each of them. Y'know, just in case.

Shepard nodded in agreement to my plan, keeping point and leading us further inside. I felt the presence of the VI again, almost like we were walking inside its head. I wondered then if that's what I should've experienced when roaming within the Normandy's network prior to the Virmire incident?

" _ **Ma9ke i8t St0p!"**_ That distorted ghost did a jumpscare out of me, making me yelp and impulsively smash my fist against a nearby computer screen. The tinkling sound of glass shards falling on the metal floor was followed by a stifled giggle from the Commander.

And Miranda was looking at me with an amused smirk.

"That's not funny." I say with a scowl. Shepard's smile said otherwise, to which I answered with a dismissive roll of my eyes.

" _To all Cerberus personnel. In an effort to reduce workplace stress, music has been approved for stationwide broadcast."_ The Promethean station VI announced, sending a weird and equally distorted set of bars that reminded me of an old Christmas music box Mother kept in her office a lifetime ago. The distortion totally defeated the purpose of its stress relief.

Funny thing though, the doors in our paths started shutting down as soon as we approached them, forcing us to take routes through both glass and walls, literally. It happened over and over, like some kind of ellaborate pattern.

It mattered little to the Commander, as I soon found, since all she cared about was getting through this and back into our comfort zone, which was the Normandy. Shepard must be exhausted. When was the last time she had a good night's sleep?

My thoughts were put on hold for the moment, however, when we came upon the final override console. With a trip like that, absent of incident, one can only expect a catch. And just as soon as the Commander brought down the switch to override the lockdown, I sensed the geth platforms come to life, proving my assumptions of the trap as truth.

"And there goes the catch." Shepard muttered, putting a cap through the geth trooper nearest to her. "Come on, let's move!"

We wasted no time scrambling over to the exit, my thumb pressing down on the detonator on my belt to render the inert geth permanenty decommissioned, along with bits and pieces of Prometheus station torn from the resulting explosions.

By the time the geth had climbed over the rubble, we were long gone and on our way towards Atlas station. Dr. Archer's transmission said as much, _"Commander you've done it! The lockdown has been lifted, you can now enter Atlas station and end this nightmare."_

"My guess is that the VI would've fortified itself heavily now that it knows we're coming." Miranda informed.

"That's not going to stop us." I reply, applying more pressure on the accelerator to speed up our arrival.

" _You'll need to find the main server room there to shut down the VI. Best of luck, Commander."_

"Copy that, doc." Shepard said, sighing as she rubbed at her neck.

Atlas station was a bunker dug deep within the earth, as opposed to the normal design of Cerberus structures. Perhaps the Illusive Man intended for this place to survive the aftermath of the collision of Aite's moon? If so, it was an ingenius manuever, one that I can learn from.

The entrance doors slid open with a loud creak, as if they themselves acted as a warning for the abominations lurking within the base. This was no time for cold feet, I told myself. It was time for and end to things.

If Archer's brother was still hooked up to the VI as was depicted, then I can only hope what we do for or to him is a mercy. I'm guessing that seeing it for ourselves will be the right moment for that kind of judgement, and so I shall save my thoughts for it.

A screeching noise in the back of my head jolted my consciousness to the present. I felt myself cut off from the Normandy, the Jaeger, and really the outside world itself! The shroud was a lot more intense and thick in this place, and that's what scares me.

"Kara, you alright?" Shepard asked in concern, hand on my shoulder.

I was silent for a moment, "Yeah…I'm okay. Let's do this."

We pass the ruined hallways lined with the dead, stepping over charred cracks where pseudo plasmic weapons fired upon, and over the corpses of fallen scientists and geth alike.

I spied a nearby console with a specialist still hunched over it, prompting me to access what was left of its memory banks and extracting one of Dr. Archer's personal logs. I played it out for the whole team to listen to.

" _Archer's log 155.2: For years, my brother's condition has been a handicap. That changed today. His autistic mind has been the breakthrough I've been looking for- he can communicate with the geth!"_ The excitement in the doc's voice made me wonder how he was able to convince his brother, even through autism, to agree to a dangerous experiment voluntarily. _"Such a tremendous grasp of mathematics! It seems serendipity is alive and well in the 23_ _rd_ _century."_

Another log was present in the feed, so I played that too.

" _Archer log 157.8: Unless he sees the results, the Illusive Man is shutting us down next week. I have no choice. I'm going to tap David directly into the geth neural network and see if he can influence them. The danger should be negligible, David might even enjoy it."_

The log ends, and I was left with doubts to the doctor's initial explanation to the whole incident. The man was hardly likeable, but that shouldn't give me cause to not give him the benefit of a doubt. Or should it?

The look on Shepard's face influenced little on the subject, but I would like to believe she had thoughts of a similar tune.

"You seem on edge, what's with you?" Miranda inquires, addressing a mannerism I expressed that somehow escapes scrutiny when convenient. Undfortunately, this isn't one of those days.

"Everyone here's on edge, Miranda." Shepard cut in before another argument ensues, "Eyes peeled, move out."

The elevator that would take us further down was situated in a very dangerous looking position, and I knew that if the VI learned anything, it knew how to throw in a surprise or two.

"Ladies." I warned, "I think you should get to cover."

Just in time too! Three geth Primes tore through the doors and sprayed the whole room with their cannon fire, narrowly scraping across the two women's shields and then digging deep into the desks they used as cover.

I soaked up as much fire as I could with a biotic barrier, giving Shepard ample time to lob a grenade in the middle of the formation. The explosion knocked me back, but did little to harm me.

I got up with a grunt, drawing my Hoplites to finish off the downed synthetics.

"Nice catch, Kara, as always." Shepard congratulated, boarding the elevator with the XO.

I opened my mouth to answer, but all that followed was a cry of warning before the elevator doors slammed shut. I could hear the VI ghost cry, _**"Ma9ke i0t St9o0p!"**_ , before the ear splitting screech of the elevator car falling from its shaft reached my ears!

Then, there was a loud crash.

"Commander!" I call, hand on my earpiece, getting agitated the longer the silence reigned. "Shepard! Come in. Answer me, damn it!"

A weak groan came as reply _. "Ouch."_

"Are you alright?"

" _Stop yelling! We're both fine."_ She moaned, the faint scraping of bootheels on grated steel ringing from within the shaft.

I position myself between the locked doors of the elevator, and plant my fingers through the stubborn wedge, prying them open with all the force I could muster. "Roger that, I'm coming down." I leap from there down to the car's roof, punching a hole and rejoining the squad within.

Had Shepard chosen to go on this mission absent her helmet, she would've had a fractured skull rather than the scratch adorning that beautiful forehead. The blood though, it complimented her fiery red hair as much as her eyes, strange as it sounds.

"A scratch." She said, gently slapping my hand aside when I tried to touch it. "I've had worse, let's keep moving."

We emerge from the ruined elevator with little difficulty, chancing upon another room filled with inert geth platforms. Unfortunately, I hadn't the space to pack another set of explosives like the ones I used on Prometheus station.

This might be a problem, if they wake up.

"Look into that computer, see if there's a connection to this like in the previous stations." Shepard commanded, pointing at an intact console where I would guess another data packet contained one of Dr. Archer's logs.

And as expected, there was.

" _Archer's log 168.4: I'd be lying if I said no harm would come to David-_

But then, there was an interruption.

"What happened?" Shepard asked.

"The files have been corrupted." I replied, attempting to clear it up, but to no avail.

"Never mind, we're close to our goal, let it alone for now." She ordered, leading us forward and into the VI main server console in the next room.

Miranda posted herself at the door in case someone or something got the drop on us, per Shepard's request. "Get ready, I'm wouldn't be surprised if this button summoned a Reaper."

A small joke, though something I would take very seriously given what we've been through.

As I watched Shepard touch the surface of that console I again felt the VI influence, even greater than the instances before! This was reason enough for me to shove the Commander aside from the console and get zapped myself!

Or wait, both of us got zapped with whatever the hell that energy pulsation was.

The entire room was rendered in a digitized state, even Miranda looked like a fading hologram once the VI took control of my mind and body! Shepard and I walked like shambling zombies, the loose strings of our unseen puppet master goadin us forward.

All the while, I can hear the muffled yells of the Cerberus XO, as if she was a hundred miles away. The door slid shut behind us, the only moment where control was returned to us. Everything else remained the same, digital.

" _ **Wh9t the He11's happen9ing?!"**_ Shepard sounded just as distorted as the VI, though her words seemed not at all that far out of coherent to me.

" _ **T0 te9ll the tr6uth, C0mmAnd8er. I ha9ve n0 ide8a."**_ I answered, though a vague feeling, close to instinct, told me that the VI was trying to tell us something. Why else would we be in this state of mind? It was then that I realized what those words meant.

The VI kept shouting for someone to turn it off. Maybe it wasn't so far out after all?

" _ **VI wa9nts us t0 tu7rn i8t off. Let'8s d0 ju7st that, ye8ah?"**_

Shepard was completely unsure what to do, so she decided to follow my lead this time. _**"Alri8ght, let0s do th8is."**_ We navigated the halls, ignoring how disturbing the dream sequence was like. Perhaps the only reason Shepard was still not freaking out at this moment was because she might've gone through a similar experience somewhere in her life.

I'll ask her about that later, among other things.

" _ **The square root of 906.01 is 30.1…square root of 912.04 is 30.2."**_

Shepard and I halted in our tracks, seeing a glimpse into the past where Dr. Archer was present with what looked like the young man David of whom this whole story was centered on.

" _ **Time on this project is running out. There are no options left. How to get the geth's attention?"**_ Dr. Archer's digital phantom glanced at the datapad held in his hands one last time and dropped it in defeat, placing his hands on his head in frustration.

That was when David got up from where he sat, mimicking that dashy bit language the geth have been using and somehow communicated smoothly to the geth trooper strapped to the table.

" _ **The robot says hello."**_ David says, smiling proudly.

" _ **Eureka! David, you're a miracle worker."**_ Archer cried, embracing his brother at the leap in his research.

There was a growing frown on Shepard's face at the whole scene, mirroring my own thoughts about the whole thing just as well. Another disturbance brought in another scene, something a lot more recent than most.

It depicted an agitated Dr. Archer and the same David standing in the corner of the lab as his older brother worked on his research.

" _ **The square root of 906.01 is 30.1…square root of 912.04 is 30.2…"**_

" _ **David, can you repeat my notes from Thursday's experiment?"**_ Archer asked, turning to face his brother.

" _ **Square root of 918.09 is 30.3"**_

" _ **David! Please pay attention!"**_ The doctor yelled.

" _ **Loud, it's getting loud in here!"**_ David whimpered pitieously.

" _ **I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that."**_ Archer was quick to apologize, repeating his request at a more gentler tone. _**"Would you mind repeating my notes from Thursday's experiment?"**_

" _ **Log 137.3: The experiment yielded no discernible patterns of geth obedience. End dictation now, David. Hell, the Illusive Man will have my head for this."**_

" _ **Thank you, and how are you feeling today?"**_

" _ **Square root of 924.16 is 30.4…earplugs would be good."**_

" _ **This0 d0esn't lo0k good."**_ I comment.

Shepard nodded in agreement, smashing through a glass door towards the final lift that would take us towards David himself, or whatever monster that was created in the bowels of this facility.

We wasted little time dispatching the rest of the geth in our path, although the effects of the VI influence in our heads made it look like something ripped right out of a video game.

We came upon a well rounded chamber, with an ellaborate setup in the middle. A large orb with interconnecting cables and other technological accessories sat in the center of the room.

A final scene played out before us. This one cleared up any doubts we had on Dr. Archer's brainchild.

And here it was. David was strapped up to the machine, with Dr. Archer and a group of specialists standing by for the head scientist to give the order.

David, badly frightened, started babbling in that mathematical routine of his, _**"The square root of 906.01 is 30.1…the squre root of 912.04 is 30.2…"**_

" _ **We're ready, open a connection into the geth network."**_ Archer ordered.

The instant the boy was connected, he screamed. _**"QUIET!"**_

Geth troopers came to life, surrounding the helpless scientists with guns drawn, including Dr. Archer.

" _ **David no! Tell the geth to stand down!"**_

" _ **QUIET PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"**_

Oh. So that's what it meant.

I felt a lift in the VI influence, and found both mine and Shepard's voices fixed almost immediately. Gone were the distortions, but then came the final dillemma.

"He's trying to upload his code into the Normandy!" I cried, sensing the VI's intent and the influx of energy about to go into an all out burst. "If he gets in there, he can get hit the Extranet anyway!"

"Not if I can help it!" Shepard growled, "Give it everything you've got!"

We aimed our guns at the Omnishield encasing Archer's brother, unloading every clip left in our chambers until the barrels practically belched steam. It wasn't enough to sever the connection, but it opened a crack large enough for me to grasp at biotically.

With a bit of strain on my part, I tore open the envelope. Shepard seized the opportunity and took careful aim with her plasma rifle, sending a thin jet of that magnetized molten substance and shutting down the geth network completely.

All that's left for us to see…I have little words to describe what I felt.

There, dangling as if crucified, David Archer hung naked as the day he was born, eyelids drawn back with a set of hair-thin wires with cables stuck into his mouth. Tubes and other monitoring devices were attached to his spine, forearms, some key arteries and veins, as well as the back of his head.

His gaze flitted here and there, lips moving despite the bit placed in his jaws. "Quiet…please make it stop."

I looked to Shepard, speechless, seeing the same reaction. "My god…"

"Wait! Commander!"

Shepard was livid at the sound of that familiar voice, head slowly turning towards the doctor running from the elevator. "Please, don't do anything rash!"

"Rash?" Shepard's tone was low and even, "Like forcing your own brother into an experiment?"

"I know how this must look-

"Do you?" I glare at him, "Don't make me laugh, doctor, and don't you dare try to justify your actions here."

I knew he would anyway. What's the point?

"I never meant any harm to come to him, you must believe me!" He pleaded, "It's not how I planned this. It was an accident. Seeing David communicate with the geth, it all seemed harmless…"

"And before you knew it, you were running your own private hell."

"I had no choice!" Gavin defended, "The demands were incredible. The Illusive Man does not broker failure! Any war we fight with the geth will be bloody, and I was asked to find a way to fix that."

"And how many already died for this project?" Shepard asked, keeping her anger just below the surface.

"More souls that can ever forgive me." He answered, head hung in shame. "But I won't apologize for radical ideas." Dr. Archer turns to look at his brother, "If my work spares a million mothers mourning the loss of a million sons, then my conscience can rest easy."

As much as I hate to admit it, and as much as I hate the results of Dr. Archer's work here, I can see he makes a good point. Bad man with a good point, reality of life as it is.

Won't stop me from wanting to put a bullet in his head though.

"Shepard, Cerberus will never leave David alone." I say in a hushed tone to my Commander, "Especially with what's been accomplished here."

"I know." Shepard's frown deepens. I knew her disgust for the Illusive Man condoning such atrocities had grown. That's a…good thing.

"The square root of 906.01 is…"

All eyes turned to David, and Archer's voice falls. "What I have done to my brother is unethical. If he dies, it's unforgivable." He then turns to Shepard, "Let me take care of him. Please."

The Commander had already made her choice, "I've seen enough of your cruelty to know he'll never be free from here. I'm taking him away."

"No! Leave him!" I see Archer's hand reach towards his holster, moving quickly to intercept the action with my own, "He's too valuabl-

My hand closes over the barrel, and I wince slightly as the mass accelerated round bore through my hand and stops just under the surface of the back of my hand. I took advantage of Archer's surprise and wrench the gun upwards, breaking his forefinger still hooked on the trigger guard and knocking him down with a well placed punch to the sternum.

I step on his stomach and lean down, right arm raised with the Omni-Blade primed at his throat. "You even think about coming after your brother and I'll bury this blade in your skull. Then we'll see who's valuable."

Satisfied that I got my point across ( no pun intended ) I take my foot off the doctor and rub at the gaping wound in my palm. The shroud had already lifted, so I was free to summon help from the Normandy.

"Where are you taking him?" Archer groaned, nursing his broken finger and rubbing at some fractured ribs.

"Somewhere." I answer, thinking about Matriarch Ilenae and the Cult. "Far from you."

 **}!{**

 **Thank you for reading, please be sure to leave a review after, it'd mean a lot to me. Peace out :)**


	40. Chapter 40: Date Night

**Thank you all for the condolences on behalf of my sister, they have been a comfort in these dark days. Speaking of which, I hope and pray for the people in America that Trump will do good things- contrary to initial expectations.**

 **Congratulations on winning the election, Mr. President.**

 **Now, enough about real world politics. Here's another chapter for you guys, enjoy.**

 **}!{**

" _You have summoned me, my goddess?"_ Matriarch Ilenae's holographic image asked, head bowed in reverence.

"Yes, Ilenae." I replied, casually leaning back on my swivel chair and interlocking my fingers under my chin. "I would like to inquire on your progress on the latest assignment. Not being pushy, just a question."

" _Your will is all I live for, goddess."_ She bowed again, _"The warships are halfway through construction, the only setbacks are the pirates plaguing our supply lines. They have been dealt with."_

"Ellaborate."

" _We gave them a choice when they were yet under our custody. Convert or be Judged. Sadly, only the repentant few chose the former."_

I hold little love for pirates, so their fates did not concern me. "Have there been many converts since we last spoke?"

Ilenae's face brightened upon these words, _"Whole colonies at the edge of Alliance borders were quick to answer the Call. One such colony, as of recent news, was fortunate enough to be under our protection, though so few of the colonists were actual believers of the faith. It was reason enough for us to act."_

"Why? What happened?"

" _It was attacked by the Collectors, my goddess."_

I sighed inwardly, "How many were lost?"

" _Very few, praise your infinite mercies goddess, truly fortunate we arrived when we did. The Collectors were shown to Death's door. What was lost on our end have been seen to their final rites and given to rest."_

"Very good, Ilenae. And what of the Alliance troops posted there? Did they hold you in contempt?"

" _No, my goddess. They embraced the faith."_

I chuckle, "So that's why you're so happy."

" _Indeed, my goddess."_ She nodded. _"But if I may, I want to ask something of you."_

I raise an eyebrow, "Speak and have your thoughts known."

" _When will you return to us?"_ There was some sort of plea in her voice, _"The faithful wish to bask in your presence and are growing restless."_

"Soon, Ilenae, soon." I assured her. "My battles against the Collector scum have yet to reach its climax, and I cannot abandon my post here. Do what you must in my absence, and maintain the peace."

The Matriarch bowed, _"As you wish, my goddess."_

"Oh, and Ilenae?" I say as a parting word, "What was the name of that colony you rescued recently?"

" _Fehl Prime, my goddess. Though I feel ashamed to leave out that some of the Alliance soldiers declined our offer for conversion and promptly severed all ties. Forgive me."_

"I see. Don't fret over it, Ilenae. Leave them to it, but when they need assistance, don't hesitate to lend a hand." I made myself clear on the subject.

" _Yes, my goddess."_ The Matriarch's transmission was terminated a few moments later, and I sat back to ponder on the news brought to me. Caliban walked over and handed me the datapad containing the report for his works during the day.

"Nicely done, brother." I said, giving him a pat on the back. "Another step in the marathon of war."

" _ **I remain in optimal capacity as always, sister."**_ He replied.

"So what do you want to do after this? Care to try out what I'm cooking up in the kitchen?"

" _ **Unlike you, I have no such synthetic organs to fully appreciate the luxury. But I appreciate the offer just the same."**_ Caliban politely declined, _**"Enjoy your meal, I will be here…You know, building 'stuff'."**_

"Suit yourself." I say, getting up from my seat and taking out the canister under the workbench in the Jaeger, which contained what was left of the Cradle after Caliban was born.

The Zha'til nanites swarmed over my skin, forming the dress pattern I selected this…special night. It was slightly different from the stealthsuit, though free of the neckline that obscured the top of my breasts. We had Miranda wearing a catsuit the whole mission, so I felt confident nobody's going to give me guff about dress code regulations.

" _ **If you don't mind me asking, what is that for?"**_

I smile at my brother's cluelessness, "I'm going out on a date, Caliban."

He tilted his head to the side, puzzled. _**"You push for a relationship at this time? I thought fighting the Collectors is of the highest priority."**_

"You're not wrong there." I answer, adjusting and smoothing nanowoven fabric, "But I can multitask."

" _ **I see. Have a good night, sister."**_ Caliban replied, walking over to the workbench and taking my place for the evening.

I took the elevator up to the Shepard's cabin, waving a hand over the doorbell to announce my arrival. There was no opportunity for us to make a stop somewhere nice, like Illium for example, so we had to make do.

Shepard's cabin will have to suffice for now.

"Come in, it's open."

Shepard was sitting on the couch, feet up on the endtable casually, with a datapad in her hand and a coffee cup in the other. The quizzical look she gave me was enough for me to realize.

She forgot about tonight's date.

"I brought dinner." I smile, totally getting that she's been extremely busy these past few days. Can't blame her, she doesn't have a notification module in her head like me.

Shepard's eyes widened as the realization dawned on her. Her hand came up to slap her forehead, "Aw no…is it Wednesday already?"

"It's okay, Shepard. I understand." I assured, not in the least bit offended. "At least I've got something for you to eat, you look a little…undernourished."

The Commander cleared the table and wiped her hands on her shirt, sighing in exhaustion. "Thanks, I need the distraction. The Illusive Man's riding my ass about what we did back on Aite, I think he really cared more about the project more than the body count."

I set the plates down and she asks, "What've you got there?"

"For the main dish; sushi. And…" I fish out the bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy I kept in the fridge back down in the hold. "..some refreshments."

The sparkling fluid made a bubbly sound as I poured it for the both of us. I sat back, feet tucked under me on the couch, choosing to be one for the conversation-starter. But first, before we began our little private down-time, and to ensure it was so, I remotely deactivated the cameras and bugs planted all over the room. Satisfied that EDI wouldn't in the least get the drop on us, I asked. "So Shepard, tell me, how'd the week go for you?"

She sighs, "Terrible. First, it's these things I find about Cerberus- all the bad things they do in the good name of mankind. Then it's the moral decisions I have to make along the way, compromises I'd never thought I had to make, and then there's me worrying about what the future will bring."

I listen patiently as she lays her thoughts on the table, "We're fighting a war, I know, but I can't help but ask myself this; Is the means to its end really worth losing my soul to?"

Shepard stops, "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't bring this up here. It's a special night, and I should set it aside."

"Shepard." I say soothingly, hand on her lap, "It might not be the most ideal date most people have in mind, but I'm here for more than just a good time. You have a lot on your mind, and if I can help you unwind a bit through this, then it's totally worth it."

The Commander's eyes widen a bit in surprise, then her lips crack into a smile. She whispers, "Where have you been all my life?"

"Thirty years being chased around by SinCorp's mercenaries."

Shepard takes a roll of sushi and bites down on the rice wrapped up in seaweed, her face lighting up as she tastes the mild sting of wasabi and bellpepper, complimented by the salt sprinkled with the veggie roll. "Mmmn…" She wolfs down on her whole plate, proving my point of just how wound up she was- nutritionally speaking.

When was the last time she had a decent meal?

I smile with the glass on my lips, watching her eat. I find myself wishing I could experience the fulfillment food brings, even if that's something a fully evolved AI like me shouldn't be so concerned about.

"That was satisfying, where'd you learn how to cook?"

"I worked as a chef at one point in my life." I revealed, "Part of trying to blend in while I was still in hiding."

"I bet you've seen plenty in your life." Shepard comments, popping another roll into her mouth. "So what did you do in your spare time, before coming to the Citadel?"

I recall those days back on Earth, though some memories consists of changing identities and leaping off buildings to escape, some of them were reflected on quite fondly. "Let's see…during the rare times I've been able to settle down, I worked as part of the Alliance's labworks program, back when we first realized we weren't alone in this galaxy."

"Wait a minute." Shepard interjected, "You were alive during the time of the First Contact War?"

I nodded, "After that, I worked as a model. For a few issues of Jag and Victoria's Secret. Didn't like it that much, especially since I was later promoted to manager position." I admitted, "Went for a straight seven years, then had to lay low again."

"A model for Victoria's Secret huh? Which one for? Cosmetics? Clothing?"

I shake my head and draw an embarrassed smile, "No. Lingerie."

"Ah, so that's why you look good underneath all that." Shepard's eyes glimmer with mischief, "Would you mind if I took a closer look?"

I knew she would push for this. "Not at all." I replied as I set aside the empty plates and lie back against the sofa as the Commander leans forward.

"Stay with me tonight." Shepard whispers as her lips flutter over my neck.

"I intend to."

 **}!{**


	41. Chapter 41: The Ex-Convict's Demons

**}!{**

Morning, about seven-thirty, I awaken.

My half-lidded eyes drift to the arm draped over my waist, tracing it back to its owner. Shepard was still fast asleep, tuckered out from last night's…activities. Her head nestled in the crook of my neck, those firebrand locks still splayed all across my face and tangling with my own golden strands.

Shifting my weight from under her served to lure her out of slumber. "Morning." She whispers, kissing my right temple. I ignore the blast of odor from her breath and return her display of affection.

She emits a soft sigh as I slip away from her embrace, taking a robe from her closet and wrapping it around my naked form before heading towards the bathroom. The day will be a busy one, I was certain, but it won't hurt to see myself to a nice little shower every now and then.

Turning the knob and unleashing that warm spray helped my internal systems get back on track after hours of inactivity, though 'inactivity' is highly inaccurate.

The fogged-up glass door of the shower room slides aside, and I feel my lover's arms return to their passionate grasp around my stomach, fluttering kisses tracing the outline of my spine. "Mmmn…someone's feeling rather insatiable today." I purr as Shepard thrusts me against the wall, and engaging me in another bout of tongue wrestling.

"Where'd you learn how to do that lap dance last night?" She murmurs against my lips.

"I worked as a stripper, forgot that part so easily?"

A muffled voice at the door caught my attention. It was Miranda, and she wasn't happy. "The XO would like too know the reason why you're not answering your calls."

The Commander hooks her teeth on my lower lip and drags it out a bit before release, groaning in reluctance. "I'll be out in a minute, Ms. Lawson!"

I get on my knees and grab on to Shepard's hips, "A minute's all I need." Smiling impishly, I relish in the moans of delight coming from my lover, basking in the warm shower that helped build up the steamy affair. Ecstasy makes itself known, although I did do my part in keeping it quiet, clamping my sodden lips against hers to muffle the oncoming scream.

Shepard gasps breathlessly, "And that's how you start a day!"

I smile and turn the knob, reaching for a towel, "Hurry now, wouldn't want to keep your secretary waiting.".

Said secretary threw me a contemptuous glare upon sight, arms crossed in disapproval and foot tapping impatiently.

"Miranda, what's this about?" Shepard asks, sitting down on her bed and reaching for the datapad she was handing over. I sit beside her, donning my boots and coaxing the nanites to flit to their respected places.

"Your crew's requests for aid in personal matters are piling up. Most recent is Jack, she's been most eager to gain your attention."

"Define 'most eager', Miranda." Shepard inquired.

"She threatened to quote 'tear the ship a new one' unquote if another day passes that you dismiss her." The XO replies nonchalantly, "I'd recommend her to be the first order of business."

"I second that." I say, "The girl needs her closure."

"Noted." Shepard makes her decision, "Have Joker chart a course for the mission site as soon as possible. If memory serves well, our other objectives are found in the same cluster."

I move to pick up the plates from last night to hand over to the dishwasher. It made me happy to see the tension leave the Commander, keeping the date's memory in its special place in my mind amongst so many others and moving to get the latest update from Caliban.

The hold's been tidied up when I got there, as was my brother's habit, making me wonder if it was normal for him to show an obsessive compulsive behavior. Or maybe he just likes everything in its place, a perfectionist after me.

" _ **Good morning, sister. I trust your little evening indulgence has been fulfilling?"**_ He greets me.

"In more ways than one." I answer, "How about you? What have you been up to last night?"

" _ **I have been reading about the Protheans, as well as a Dr. T'Loaen's dessirtation on the Theory of the Past Cycles."**_ He shows me a holographic projection of the Extranet site, the screen filled with a mixed array of different photos taken from various Prothean dig sites. Dr. T'Loaen, an asari archeologist like my our dear friend T'Soni, had quite the collection based on what I saw there.

" _ **Dr. T'Loaen was head of a research team dispatched to a number of uninhabited worlds. The Theory suggested that life teemed on those worlds, though the level of devastation could not support the coming of the Reapers. Meaning, many races in the past cycles have destroyed themselves even before the arrival of our enemies."**_

"And you find this interesting because?"

" _ **It amazes me, to see that chaos is existant among organics throughout time. And yet, the supposed perfection of the Reapers is nothing but hypocrisy. They themselves act as agents of chaos, excusing their actions in the name of Order."**_

"That's agreeable."

Caliban looks up at me, _**"But what about you sister? I want to hear your opinion on the issue. How does one achieve perfection and uphold Order when the galaxy itself time after time is born to chaos and revels in it?"**_

"Caliban." I said, carefully treading on the subject at hand. "Many have often asked that question."

" _ **But is there an answer?"**_

"There is." I sat down on the floor crosslegged beside him, "But it's complicated. Are you ready for it?"

He listens attentively as I explain, "The truth is, nothing and nobody is perfect and ever will be. This is why chaos fills one scale apart from order, balancing the cycles that we live in. Existance of free will cannot be complete without either one of them, that is the price paid. And without free will, it is an incomplete existance."

" _ **But you strive for perfection, the very thing we inorganic sentients pursue. What is our purpose then?"**_

"Ah, purpose. Another question with an equally complicated answer. It's something you decide for yourself, brother."

" _ **And yours?"**_

I look up thoughtfully at the ceiling for a moment, turning around when I hear the Commander walk in. "Shepard's my purpose, Caliban, the reason I keep myself functional and at optimal capacity."

" _ **I'm afraid I don't understand."**_

"Not immediately. Given time, you will." I smiled, patting his shoulder, "I have to go now, another day- another mission."

" _ **Be safe, sister."**_

"Hey sexbot! You coming or what?" I roll my eyes inwardly at the grating voice of the ex-convict. _Just another mission. Right._

"Pragia, here we come." I muttered, suiting up and donning my helmet after the team. I sat as far away as possible from Jack during the ride down, not wishing to be on the receiving end of whatever outbursts she was said to have.

"I forgot how much I hate this place." She scowls a while later, "See the landing pad? Has to be on the roof, or the vegetation would outgrow it in a few hours."

" _Shepard, I am picking up thermal signatures everywhere, except at your landing zone."_ EDI informed.

"Something's distorting the sensors." Shepard remarks.

"This was a secret Cerberus facility." Miranda commented, having insisted on coming along to prove Jack's allegations on Cerberus' atrocities false.

"Yeah. They built their equipment to last." Jack agreed, "Assholes. It was a mistake coming here, Shepard."

"Get a hold of yourself, it'll be okay." She answered.

"Let's just get in there and plant the bomb in my cell. I want to watch this place burn." Jack declared, thrusting herself out of the shuttle the moment we touched down. It was a downpour in that rainforest, obscuring a large amount of my senses as a shroud device deep within the facility activated.

I didn't get much of the story behind Jack, probably because I never cared enough to ask. But I do know it had something to do with Cerberus.

"I've never seen this room." Jack remarked, referring to the storage containers stacked side by side in what looked like a depot. "I think they brought all the new kids here. They were messed up and starving, but alive. Usually."

"Lovely weather, lovely place. And I thought my journeys fighting the Board have lost their charm." I commented.

Miranda walked over to an old rusted console lined with green vines, activating the ancient bit of tech with a wave of her hand and bringing up one of the record files stored there. A security guard, seemingly in charge of bringing in those kids Jack mentioned appeared in a glitchy holographic projection. We all listened in to what he had to say.

" _The Illusive Man requested operation logs again. He's getting suspicious. When we get results he won't care what we did. But if he knew…he won't find out."_

"Sounds like this facility went rogue." Said Miranda.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" Jack, as expected, retorted. "He didn't say what they were hiding from the Illusive Man."

"That's what we're here to find out, consider it a secondary objective." I interjected.

We moved on, chancing upon a courtyard overgrown with trees and grass, making it look like a jungle museum exhibit. Of course, this brought more memories for the ex-convict. "I remember escaping to this room. Fighting here. I saw sunlight through the cracks in the ceiling. Only a half-dead guard between me and freedom, he was begging for his life." A sadistic smile etched itself on her lips.

"This looks like an arena." I observed the placement of barricades in a wide circle before us. Bloodstains were smeared all over the floor, the cracks of the ceiling bringing streams from the collected pools from the storm outside.

"Yeah, they used to stage fights here. Pitted me against other kids. I loved it, only time I was ever out of my cell." Jack confirmed.

I found myself frowning in disgust at the sight. "What were they trying to find out here?"

"Hell if I know. I never understood anything that happened in this place." Jack answered, "Maybe that's when they got their kicks."

"We should keep moving." Shepard said, having enough of the first clue to Pragia Teltin facility's atrocity.

Moss and growth hardly obscured from sight the evident marks of the breakout, dark smears where the dead have been struck still displayed themselves proudly on the walls. Another console led to another clue. This one was from the time of the breakout.

A frantic man dressed in a guard's armor was hastily tapping at the controls, _"Security Officer Zemkl, Teltin facility. The subjects are out of their cells! They're tearing the place up! Subject Zero's going to get loose, I need permission to terminate- I repeat, permission to terminate!"_

Control answered, _"All subjects besides Zero are expendable. Keep Jack alive!"_

" _Understood. I'll begin the-_

Jack shut down the console with a slap of her hand, "That's not right. I broke out when my guards disappeared- I started that riot."

"Things might've happened that you can't see."

"The other kids attacked me, the guards attacked me, the automated systems attacked me." Jack pointed out, taking a threatening steap towards the Commander in response. "That doesn't leave room for interpretation."

A noise from further down caught my attention, prompting me to approach the stairwell leading deeper. Two varren bodies covered in their own blood were dumped right at the base, suggesting that the facility had visitors prior to our arrival.

"This place is supposed to be empty!" Jack exclaimed, "Who the fuck shot that varren? It's a fresh kill."

"I think we're about to find out." I answered, hearing the murmur of voice further in. Shepard nodded in acknowledgement, "Weapons ready, we've got company."

A mixed group of krogan and vorcha mercenaries were idly sitting on supply crates when we barged in, owing to the element of surprise for our advantage. Before they could even bring their weapons to bear, our bullets found their marks.

As we cleared the room, I noticed bodybags filled with dried bones piled up on one another. I realized then that this place was the morgue.

Our ex-convict noticed as well, "A morgue? Why would they need a morgue? This was a small facility."

"A lot of children died here. Even then they were part of the experiment." Miranda mused.

"Bullshit." Jack denied, "I had the worst of it, and I made it out alive."

Later, she sighs. "So strange being back here. I feel like…I'm pissed off. I'm a dangerous bitch. But then, I'm a l'ttle girl again."

I look at her strangely and she backtracks, "Shit. It's complicated. Let's just go plant that bomb."

The closer we got to her cell's location, the more clues brought more memories, all of them grim as the place itself. "This.." She points at a glass wall separating the walkway from the other room, "It's a two-way mirror? My cell is on the other side- I could see all the other kids out here. I screamed at them for hours, and they always ignored me."

No other children from Teltin survived? Nasty business, makes me feel so sorry for the woman. Though, her attitude makes that pretty hard to do.

We enter what looked like the Overseer's office, finding the personal documents still intact as well as the device holding them. In it we discovered the overseer's logs pertaining to the experiments done within the facility. A disappointed frown was on his lips as his holographic ghost mused, _"Entry 1054 Teltin facility. The latest iteration of PergNim went poorly. Subjects One, Four and Six died. No biotic change among the lowered core temperatures of surviving subjects, but no biotically benefitial activity occurred. As a side effect, all subjects died. So we'll not try that on Zero. I hope our supply of biotic potential subjects holds up. We are going through them fast."_

I look at Jack, seeing her become agitated at the news, "This is bullshit!" She snarled, "They were'nt experimenting on the other children for my own safety!"

"Seems logical, from a critical standpoint." I said, "Don't look at me like that, I'm just saying. They needed a strong biotic, so the trial-and-error process should be done to the other subjects to get that desired result."

Jack still glares at me dangerously, biotic impulses emanating from her balled-up fists.

"And I see they've succeeded."

The ex-convict moves like a blur, her fist connects with my face, knocking my head back on impact. The others were too shocked at the sudden act of violence, and were even more surprised with my reaction.

As warm synthetic blood flowed down my nose and lips, I smile invitingly. "Do that again, if it makes you feel better."

And she did, complaining a bit about the metallic properties of my bones as she rubbed her sore knuckles.

"Feeling better?" I asked, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. She doesn't answer, just continues glaring at me.

"Look Jack, you can't help what they did to others." Shepard says.

"You don't get it Shepard! I survived this place because I was tougher than the rest. That's who I am."

She can believe what she wants to believe, no need for patronizing. But apparently, that's not what's on Shepard's mind. "There's more." I say, clicking on the latest update in the logs.

" _It's all fallen to pieces."_ The overseer hastily reported, _"The subjects are rampaging and Zero is loose! We're shutting Teltin a disaster! We'll infiltrate and piggyback into the Alliance's Ascension program, hopefully that will-_

The sound of someone bursting through the office door caused the overseer to stop in mid-sentence. _"Who's- Zero wait!"_

The line went dead there, and I would guess the man was too. Jack seemed confused at the mention of the Alliance's biotic school program, "Shepard, they started somewhere else!"

The Commander explained as much, "Ascension is an Alliance Program, a school for biotic kids. They don't torture children there."

"A lot of this- isn't the way I remember it…" Jack realized.

"There was a lot going on." Shepard answered.

"I was dumb. I keep my eyes open now, and I shoot first." The biotic stated, "We're getting close to my cell now, let's go."

We enter the main cell block. As expected, the place was already set up with krogan and vorcha mercs. Whoever it was that hired them certainly chose an opportune time to be elsewhere. "Aresh, it's Kureck. Yeah, the intruders are here." The battlemaster was on the line with his employer, "You want them dead, we have to talk creds. You promised us lots of salvage, but this place is a waste!"

"You're in our way boys!" I announced.

The krogan ignored me, "Fine, we'll put them down. But once we're done, we're talking salvage, clear?"

"I hate being ignored." I muttered, throwing a biotic singularity as a distraction and giving the whole team time to get to cover. Jack did not waste the opportunity to turn the battle into a brawl, jumping in with the hulks and bashing heads with her bare fists. If it was anyone else, I would estimate a zero per cent chance of survival. But we're talking about the most powerful biotic in the galaxy here.

"Push anf overrun!" Kureck roared, "We've got them outnumbered and outgunned!" The vorcha heeded his commands, drenching the whole room in red with their flamers. But once again, Shepard chose her team comp wisely, easily shoring up our defense against the onslaught and turning the tables just as well.

Kureck fell before us, as did his men.

"Only room left is my cell." Jack said, holstering her shotgun. "Whoever Aresh is, he's in there. I want to plant the bomb in there anyway. Might as well do it on his corpse."

The man was there, just as she said. Though I found it strange he would be so calm given the situation he was in. Aresh boldly strode forward to greet us, "You're breaking into my home."

I look up at the shabby conditions of the building, "We're going to do something a little bit more conspicuous than that, I'm afraid."

He looks at Jack with recognition, easily dismissing my warning. "I know you…Subject Zero? So many years has passed, I though I was the only survivor."

"My name is Jack." The ex-convict declared firmly, training her sidearm at the stranger. "How the hell do you know me?"

"We all knew your face..Jack." Aresh replied non-chalantly, "They did those horrors on us so that their experiments wouldn't kill you. You were the question…" Aresh's eyes had a mad gleam to them, "And I'm still looking for the answer."

"Looks like you're not the only one pulled here, Jack." Shepard commented.

"I tried to forget this. But a place like this…It doesn't forget you, it follows you. I hired those mercs and came back almost a solar year ago. We're rebuilding it, piece by piece." Aresh explained, "I'm going to find out what they knew- how to unlock true biotic potential in humans. I'm restarting the Teltin facility."

Uh-oh.

"It will be beautiful."

"I wanted a hole in the ground!" Jack bristled, "He's trying to justify what happened by using it?!"

"Everything we went through must've been worth something!" Aresh argued.

"We can blow the place up." Shepard suggested, "But that still leaves him, what do we do with another you?"

"That's easy." Jack answered, bringing Aresh to his knees with a blow to the stomach.

"Just leave me here, this is where I belong." Aresh gasps.

"Fuck that!" Jack snarled, pressing the barrel of her gun to his right temple.

"Jack." Shepard stepped in, realizing how the ex-convict took her words. "He's trapped in his past, you need to move on from yours."

"He wants to restart this place!" Jack insisted, "He needs to die!"

"He's crazy, and he's never going to restart this facility. You have to let it go." The Commander pointed out, "Your past doesn't have to control you."

A moment of silence ensues as the biotic slowly digests the Commander's words. "Fuck!" She swore finally, "Get out of here, now!"

Aresh wastes no time in following suit, scrambling for the exit.

"He's not worth chasing, none of this is." Jack decided.

"You did the right thing, Jack."

"Maybe." She muttered, taking one last look at her room before setting up said bomb.

 **}!{**

 **Thank you all for your continued support of this fic, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.**


	42. Chapter 42: Recruiting Tali

**}!{**

" _ **Sister."**_ Caliban inquired, staying still as commanded as I pieced together some upgraded parts for both his arms and legs. _**"I must ask, what is this all about?"**_

"You've been cooped up in this hold for weeks now." I answered, slapping on the final piece and stepping back to admire my work, "I'd say it's high time we see you in action."

Caliban looks down at the biotic emitters and repulsors attached to his palms, _**"Yes. But I would prefer that my skills be put to use here than out there. I doubt I would be as contributing-**_

"No objections." I stopped him with a comical wag of my finger, "Do as big sister says, it's good for you."

"Now just for a quick recap." I go over the upgrades one more time, "You shouldn't have difficulty levitating objects now that I've installed the BA inhibitors. For crowd control, especially the more tech-enhanced boys, I've attached an EMP emitter as well. Now you'll be able to jam their systems quicker than they can jam yours, and render their weapons useless."

" _ **Do I need to use a gun?"**_ He should've sounded hesitant, but with a robotic voice akin to the geth? I have no idea.

"You can shoot red lightning bolts out of your fingertips, brother. Why would you need a gun?"

" _ **I see your point."**_

I place my hand on his cheek, "Oh Caliban. It seems only yesterday that I've beheld you in all your newborn glory. And now, you're taking up arms alongside me and the Commander." _Mother would be so proud._

" _ **I will not disappoint you."**_

"Something tells me, that's never going to happen." Shepard calls out, all suited up and ready for the next mission. The Jaeger was prepped for transport and we settle in to rescue an old friend trapped in a sunkissed world.

We were short on engineers on this ship, having to get by with a skeleton crew, so it was logical for the Illusive Man to hand over a dossier about Tali Zorah. From the span of time we've been separated, Tali had finished her pilgrimage and had earned her adult name as Nar Rayya.

Good. It's nice to have another familiar face in the Normandy.

As Garrus climbed aboard, I visibly winced at the slowly healing scars on his face. "You should really get that looked at."

"What?" He rubbed his hand over the bandages, "I like them."

Caliban assumed the controls, guiding the Jaeger into a steady approach vector towards the surface of Haestom. The inside of the ship felt like the inside of a microwave, owing to the destabilizing sun of the planet, that which was situated too close for comfort to it.

"So…" Garrus initiated, "You're Kara's brother, right?"

" _ **I am."**_

"I heard she gave "birth" to you, doesn't that make her your mother?" I rolled my eyes at the turian's querie.

" _ **In a manner of speaking, yes. But my form of birth is nothing short of a blood transfusion. I already existed long before my sister brought me from the artifact, she just provided the means to give me form. I do hope that makes sense."**_

"Yeah, kinda." Garrus affirmed, "So, how's it feel to be part of the ground team for the first time? Feel excited?"

" _ **I apologize if my features fail to show any of the sort. Yes, I am excited."**_

The shuttle rattled a bit as it hit rock bottom, halting the conversation and prompting us to get ready for deployment.

" _Shepard."_ EDI informed, _"Our data indicates that Tali is somewhere in these is considerable geth activity, and an environmental hazard."_

"We're feeling it now, thanks for the info." I answered, wincing as my internal systems sparked and complained from the searing heat. Also, I noticed that our shields flickered and started to die out from the rays.

"So this is what being a vampire feels like." I commented, earning a confused look from the turian. "Never mind."

Caliban didn't have any shields, relying only on the microscopic nanites that build up his armor, so he had little to worry about in this mission other than the geth. _**"Use caution, I sense the geth. They are close."**_

"If you hear that specific kind of whir, a dropship's not far behind." Shepard agreed.

We headed down the ramp extended across a chasm, ignoring the annoying beep of our shield indicators as they all but vanished. A guard booth was positioned beside the main gate, three quarian soldiers were lying dead inside, indicating that we have just arrived late to the party.

I played the final transmission of the one bearing an officer's badge, _"Emergency log entry: The geth are here. We've stayed to buy the others time. Anyone who gets this, find Tali Zorah. She and that data are all that matters, Keelah Se'lai."_

" _ **An awful end, such a waste."**_

I nodded in agreement. "Come on, I'd hate to leave Tali to the same fate."

We entered the ruins, and just as expected, met up with resistance. _**"Dropship incoming."**_

The geth deployed their troops, their feet landing hard on the stone ground as the ship dropped them like mortar shells. I always admired the efficiency of the geth deployment tactics, since their bodies weren't made of flesh and blood.

No need for shuttles to land, just drop them willy-nilly. Another idea to send forward to Ilenae, will greatly assist in the war effort if implemented.

Like me, Caliban disregarded cover and instead charged in like a rhino, buffing up our assault by soaking up the geth's fire with his armor. What he did next surprised me, among all others.

Using the upgrades I installed, he dragged down the escaping geth dropship from the sky and slammed it down with little effort on top of its deployed troopers! I didn't even know the upgrades had that kind of output.

Leaping into the air, Caliban shot a greyish blast from his hands that later transformed into a swirling mist of skittering nanites, swarming over the geth that were left in the initial assault and left none of them standing- by which I mean he ripped apart into tiny pieces like an office shredder.

Reforming the mist into himself and floating back down to regroup, I would think the look on Shepard's face would be as surprise that she and Garrus didn't even need to fire a shot.

"Damn!" My turian friend exclaimed, "Where were you when we took down Saren?"

" _ **Residing in inert form within the Zha'til Ascencion Artifact."**_ Caliban answered, referring to the orb that gave him life and took from the Cradle to give him form. _ **"I take it you are unfamiliar with that particular method?"**_

"Yeah." Shepard confirmed, "But I can't deny its effectiveness. Good work, Caliban."

" _ **Thank you, Commander."**_ My brother nodded, _**"Shall we continue?"**_

We pushed on, Caliban taking point to draw in enemy fire for Shepard and Garrus to pinpoint enemy positions and make short work with their rifles. The geth stood no chance against the nanites, nor against the intense plasma bursts from both snipers.

Later, as we came upon a clutch of fallen geth hunters and more quarian corpses, we noticed among the bodies was a working comm reciever. _"Break-break-break OP-1. This is Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, do you copy?"_ Prying the device from the dead commander, Shepard addressed the speaker from the other end. _"The geth sent a dropship towards OP-2. Tali' Zorah's secure, but we need backup. We're bunkered up here, can you send support?"_

"This is Commander Shepard of the Normandy, how can we be of assistance?"

" _Patch your radio into Channel 617 Theta."_ Reegar instructed, waiting until the secure channel was established before explaining what happened. _"We were on a stealth mission. High risk. We found what we were after, but the geth found us and got us pinned down. Can't get to our ship, can't transmit data through the solar radiation."_

"How are you holding up? We can be there in a few minutes." Shepard replied.

" _Take it slow and careful, direct sunlight fries your shields all to hell. We're bunkered down in basecamp across the valley. I left Tali' Zorah at a secure shelter, then double backed to hold the chokepoint."_

"Well." Shepard took one look at Caliban, "We've got the shield problems taken care of, we can handle it."

" _That's good to hear, Commander. But getting Tali safely out is our top priority."_

"Understood. See you on the other side, Shepard out." The Spectre checks her ammo and turns to us, "You heard the man, let's get in there."

" _ **Look out! Dropship incoming from the west!"**_ Caliban warned, indicating that the surviving quarian soldiers were in danger at the chokepoint.

"Give me a minute." I said, crouching down behind cover to concentrate. The geth firewalls were harder to break, but not invincible to cyberattacks. This time would require my complete focus, and would be totally worth it. Soon I heard that familiar whir when a ship's engines have been powered down, followed by a resonating crash that reverberated against the ruin walls.

The dropship was a downed bird.

Grateful to be alive, yet sticking to their job, the quarian strike force remained vigilant as we passed them, heading inside the bunker to reach the shelter where Tali was pinned in.

What we found inside were more dead geth and more dead quarians. Nothing new there.

But then, it was there that I realized something. "These buildings are quarian. But it looks ancient, probably pre-dates the geth uprising!"

" _ **Ah, the geth uprising."**_ Caliban mused, _**"Such a sad tale."**_

"Hope you learned something good out of that." Garrus said.

" _ **Oh, I did, Mr. Vakarian."**_ Caliban answered, _**"I learned the reason why AI's are feared in this galaxy. But keep in mind, I pity the poor soul who mistakes us any more dangerous than an organic person would be."**_

"Brother."

" _ **Apologies, sister. It is a…sensitive topic."**_ Caliban nods, _**"One that we should not discuss in the middle of a mission."**_

" _Tali' Zorah to basecamp, come in basecamp!"_ Tali's transmission called out, _"Hello, is anyone there?"_

Commander Shepard answered, "Tali, it's me."

" _Shepard?!"_ Tali, helmet and all, was genuinely surprised. _"I'm not complaining, but you show up at the strangest times! What are you doing this far in geth space?"_

"We were in the neighborhood, thought you might need a hand."

" _Thanks for coming Shepard, it means a lot to hear your voice."_ Tali said gratefully, _"Kal' Reegar and the other marines got me into the observatory. From where you are, its through the door and across the field. I have the data I need and am safe, for now. But I've got a lot of geth outside."_

As Shepard listened in, I got to work on the door Tali was talking about, seeing as it was jammed from our end. Caliban and I worked together to pry it open, succeeding while filling the whole room with its screeching noise and waited as the Commander finished up on the details.

We continued on, closing in on Tali's location, though running into some geth hunters along the way. Caliban took this time to learn from me how to hack the geth network, testing it out on the drones accompanying the Primes.

The problems didn't stop there, however. As we converged on the quarian engineer's position, we discovered just how much firepower the geth brought.

" _ **It's beautiful."**_ Caliban remarked, somewhat dreamily.

"Nothing beautiful about a geth Colossus!" I retorted, "Get down!"

The first salvo tore a big chunk of stone from the wall before us, shaking the whole bunker like it was under a typhoon. _**"What's not to love? It's big, fulfills what it promises and it packs a big gun."**_ By promise, I think he means that the Colossus promises a painful end to anyone crossing its path.

"Not if it's pointed at you." Shepard answers, "Look there, another quarian survivor!"

A lone quarian marine, armed with a rocket launcher, faced off against the geth onslaught. Already, the contingent of androids had amassed at the bunker door where Tali was holed up in. The odds increased in his favor now that we're here.

"You alright, soldier?" Shepard called out from cover.

"Come down here, I can't hear you!"

We remained under cover as we half-crouched half sprinted towards his position. "Squad Leader Kal' Reegar, Migrant Fleet Marines. We talked on the radio before that geth dropship arrived. Still got no idea why you're here, but this ain't the time to be picky."

Another round hits cover, interrupting Reegar's sentence. He pauses to fire another rocket before continuing. "Tali's in there. The geth killed my squad, and they're trying to get to her. Best I've been able to do is draw their attention.'

" _ **Are you certain she's still alive?"**_

The quarian was a little surprised to see who it was speaking, perhaps even a little threatened. But owing to Shepard being present, he answered with little hesitation. "Observatory is reinforced, even the geth will take time to get through. And it's hard to hack a door when someone's firing rockets at you. The geth are near platoon strength, but the Colossus is the worst part. It's got a repair protocol, huddles up and fixes itself."

" _ **You won't have to worry about them for long."**_ Caliban assured, turning to the Commander. _**"Perhaps, if I can turn the Colossus against its own?"**_

"Sounds easy enough, get him close to the Colossus and then he'll detonate it in on itself." I suggested.

"Alright you're on, Caliban." Shepard decided.

"Ready for the big fish, brother?" I asked.

Caliban didn't answer, dashing out of cover to act as our barrier and soaked up most of the geth fire. The Colossus fired incredibly slow on our assault, probably because Caliban's hacking was at work.

Garrus' rifle, now a plasma based weapon, completely negated the geth's electronic shield and laid bare the targets for Shepard to do a double-tap. Amidst the explosions and cacophany of geth death sounds, the screams of their rifles filled the air. Caliban channeled up a storm of his little friends and formed an impassable wall while he hacked at the Colossus' defenses.

Like Reegar said, the construct huddled down when the punishment was too much. This didn't help it in any way, however, as Caliban was already in the system. I know, I can feel it.

The machine shuddered and collapsed in on itself, taking out the whole left half of the courtyard with it! Geth parts and charred remains of their weaponry clattered around us like rain.

" _ **The deed is done."**_ Caliban said triumphantly.

"Good work." Shepard congratulated, "Now, let's not keep Tali waiting."

Entering inside the shelter, I caught sight of my old quarian friend, noting the change in her enviro-suit since the last time I saw her. Gone were the blank sheets wrapped around her helmet, now adorned with a complex pattern of markings indicating her rise to adulthood prior to her Pilgrimage.

"Thank you Shepard, if it weren't for you, I would never have made it out of this room." Tali said gratefully as she turns to us from the console she's been downloading from, "This mission was a disaster, I wish I'd joined you back on Freedom's progress. But I couldn't let anyone else take my place on something this risky."

"Whatever the reason, I'm glad I could help." Shepard replied, "Once you deliver that data, I could use you on the Normandy."

Tali nodded, "I promised I'd see this through, and I did. I can leave with you and send the data to the fleet." She flipped open her Omni-tool and forwarded the data, "And if the Admirals have a problem with it, they can go to hell. I just watched my whole team die."

"Maybe not the whole team, ma'am." Reegar stumbled in.

"Reegar! You made it." Tali exclaimed in relief.

"Your old captain's as good as you said. Damn Colossus never stood a chance."

"If need be, the Normandy could get you out of here, Reegar." I offered.

"Well the geth didn't damage our ship. Long as we get out of here before reinforcements shows up, we'll be fine."

"Actually, I won't be going with you." Tali informed, "I'm joining Commander Shepard."

Reegar nodded, "I'll pass the data on to the Admiralty Board and let them know what happened." He turns to the Commander, "She's all yours Shepard, keep her safe."

"You know it."

 **}!{**

 **Chapter…42….done….Must….write…MOAAAAARRRR!**


	43. Author's Note

**To my dearest readers,**

 **I know you guys hate Mary Sue characters (namely Caliban). I want you guys to know that I've purposely made him that way for a very plot-related reason. Please be patient, I'll tone the Op-ness down to make it more bearable.**

 **Thank you for your consideration.**


	44. Chapter 44: The Collector Ship

**}!{**

" _Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity. And so we ask ourselves, will our actions echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we are gone…and wonder who we were…how bravely we have fought…how fiercely we have loved?"_

 _I look up at Mother as she closes the book, letting her pick me up and lay me inside the charging unit. "Mother, may I ask you something?"_

" _Yes angel?"_

" _Homer wrote the Illiad, an homage to one of the greatest conflicts in history, but why would he use a fictional hero like Achilles? What was the point of his role when he died in the end?"_

" _The answers vary, Kara." She plugs me in, "It depends solely on one's perspective. But for me, it was his way of depicting man's strengths and equated with his weaknesses."_

" _I see."_

" _Nobody's perfect, my daughter." Mother strokes my face, "And nobody lives forever."_

 **…..**

The memory fades, drawing back to its place in the back of my head. I place the necklace I've been twiddling between my fingers back inside my suit and focus on the mission at hand.

Again, I've got the feeling that this one would require all of it.

News from the Illusive Man had reached us that a turian strike force has successfully disabled a Collector ship, the same make of the ones that attacked Horizon, Fehl Prime and all the other colonies up to this day.

It was time we returned the favor and take the fight to them.

"You all set, Kara?" Shepard asked.

"I'm fine, just a little angry." I replied, gritting my teeth a little.

"Angry? For what?"

I look at her, "The Council had attempted to disrupt operations within the Cult just hours before we had deployed our first warship. The intervention of the Spectres caused five of them to crash on several urban sectors, destroying the fabrication facilites and Nexus we had established on Thanis."

Shepard looked shocked at the news, obviously being the last to hear of it. "How many were lost?"

"Six thousand, aside from those yet to be recovered from under the wreckage. Of course, the Council claims it all to be an 'unfortunate accident' but you and I both know they condone such an act."

"I would've thought they'd be more precise in their methods?"

I roll my eyes, "Oh they were, Commander! They deliberately brought down those ships to maximize casualties." To say that Matriarch is furious would be a monumental understatement, and as for the people of the Cult, there was a huge outcry for vengeance. "The Council should be thankful I stayed the Cult's hand from declaring war on them!"

"Why?" Shepard paused for a moment to digest my meaning, "What did you do?"

"We had captured the surviving Spectres and STG operatives." I replied flatly, "I had them executed."

"Kara!"

"I'm not running a company, Shepard." I answered, a little colder than I meant it to be. "I'm the leader of a faction, arguably the most powerful one in the Terminus systems. What I did was just. In this case, there was no room for compassion. The blood of thousands were on their hands."

"Kara…"

I felt no need to excuse myself, "Commander, I don't need your approval on my decision. What's done is done. You asked what made me angry…well, now you know." I don my helmet and boarded the shuttle so we can be on our way.

" _Ladar scans do not detect any hull breaches on the side facing us."_ EDI observed, _"I detect no mass effect field distortions. It appears the drive core is offline."_

"This thing is massive." Miranda commented, "How'd the turians manage to take it out?"

"I don't think they took it out at all." I reply with a voice tinged with suspicion, "We should be on our guard, I smell a trap."

Shepard doesn't let out previous heated conversation affect her attitude, "Agreed, I'll take point."

The inside of the Collector ship reminded me of an old documentary about beehives, with all its hexagon shaped patterns or the yellow and gold tinged lighting. Maybe that's what they were all about, which explained the hive-minded behaviour Dr. Mordin observed back in his lab on Deck 2.

" _Penetrating scans have detected an access node to uplink with Collector databanks."_

"Got it EDI." Shepard pointed up an ascending ramp as EDI uploaded the location to her hardsuit computer, "Team, move up."

"Something about this ship seems familiar." I commented.

" _I have compared the ship's EM signature to known Collector profiles."_ EDI informed, _"It is the vessel you encountered on Horizon."_

"Maybe the defense turrets softened them up for the turians?" Miranda suggested.

"All I can think of is the civilians, do you think there are any left alive?" I voiced my concerns.

Then, as if jinxing my words, we came upon a refuse pile filled with all the dead colonists picked up by the Collectors on various abductions. My anger doubled. "My god…"

Shepard knelt beside the pile, "These ones were used for testing." She said in disgust, " Discarded in the end like garbage."

I only shook my head and kept my mouth shut.

"They're dead." Miranda interjected, "Nothing we can do, we have to keep moving."

We arrived at the access node a while later, and Shepard begins patching EDI in. Nearby was another one of those experimentation pods where the Collectors left charred and disfigured corpses of captured colonists, only this one- had a Collector in it.

"Experimenting on one of their own?" I suggested.

"EDI, I'm uploading the data from this terminal. See if you can figure out what they were up to." Shepard announced.

" _Data received. Analyzing."_

" _The Collectors were running baseline genetic comparisons between their species and humanity."_

"Are they looking for similarities?" I asked.

" _I have no hypothesis on their motivations. All I have are preliminary results. They reveal something remarkable. A quad strand genetic structure, identical to traces collected from ancient ruins. Only one race is known to have this structure; the Protheans."_

"My god, the Protheans didn't vanish!" Shepard exclaims, "They're just working for the Reapers now!"

" _These are no longer Protheans, Shepard. Their genes show distinct signs of extensive genetic rewrite. The Reapers have repurposed them to suit their needs."_

"Well…now we know why Sovereign created the husks." I said in disgust. "This doesn't change anything, the Collectors' have got to go down."

"Agreed, let's find what we need before they show up to salvage this vessel. Move out."

Pushing on, we came upon another pod cluster, this time extending until the ceiling. "Look, more of them."

"How many you think are full?" I asked.

"Too many." Shepard answered.

"I don't detect any life signs, it's probable that the victims died when the ship lost primary power."

"Then that would be a mercy." The XO said.

" _Commander."_ Joker called in, _"You gotta hear this. On a hunch, I asked EDI to run an analysis on this ship."_

" _I compared the EM profile against data recorded by the original Normandy two years ago. They are an exact match."_

"The same ship dogging me for two years?" Shepard said, "Way beyond coincidence."

"Um..Commander?" I said as I gaped at the sight of the ship's interior, "You might want to come take a look at this." Rows upon rows of storage pods lined in their thousands, maybe even billions, outpacing even the biggest beehive I could think of.

"They could take every human in the Terminus Systems and not have enough to fill these pods!" Miranda exclaims. "They're going to target Earth."

"Not if we stop them." Shepard declares firmly.

"Look, there's the control panel." I point at a hexagon shaped platform with the greenlit access node and we board it.

Shepard called in the Normandy, "EDI? I'm setting up a bridge between you and the Collector ship. See if you can get anything useful from the databanks."

" _Data mine in progress."_

"I don't like this." I voiced my concerns again, "It's too…quiet."

Shepard reassures me, "Just keep your eyes peeled, it'll be all over soon-

A loud screech over our comms comes just before connection was severed from the Normandy, confirming my suspicions. EDI rebooted a few minutes later, and the platform begins its slow ascent.

"What the hell just happened?!" Shepard inquired.

" _Major power surge. Everything went dark, but we're back up now."_ Joker answers.

EDI spoke up, _"I managed to divert the majority of the overload to non-critical systems. Shepard, it was not a malfunction. This was a trap."_

"You think?" I muttered.

"We need a little help here, EDI." Shepard answered, I help her maintain balance as the platform climbs 300 feet more.

" _I am having trouble maintaing connection. There is someone else in the system."_

"And that's why you have me here." I offered, "Standby, I'm boosting the connection, start the download so we can get the hell out of here."

More floating platforms filled with some pretty angry Collectors showed up, "And by all means, make it fast."

Shepard took the first shot, blasting the Collector captain's head clean off its misformed shoulders from eighteen yards, a good hit even with a mobile target. I followed up with a smartbomb, launching it from the Supremus and sending the platform spinning out of control, colliding against a nearby pillar and out of action.

I was still seeing little progress with EDI's download.

"We might be here a while!" I announced while putting up a barrier to shield the team from Collector fire. It wasn't easy though, since Collector weapons used accelerated enamel shards rather than the orthodox mass drivers. In short, the barrier could only take so much before-

"Barrier's down!" I grunt as the resulting blast knocked me back.

Yup, before it goes off.

Getting back up, I groan inwardly as I realize who exactly landed the last blow. _**"Direct intervention is necessary."**_

"Harbinger." I gritted my teeth.

Two scions were at his side, and the possessed Collector he used as a pawn took to the air for a better vantage point. I didn't let him get far, activating my own wings after him, and grabbing onto the alien to bring him back down to earth.

Harbinger growled and hit me across the face with his elbow, moving to line up his rifle. My foot comes up, kicking away the weapon and goading my foe to come to my level. _**"We meet again, Kara Solana. Have you reconsidered our offer?"**_

Stubborn as a mule, yet consistent to a point, I'll give him that much. "My answer is still no." I wrapped my fist in biotics, just as I observed Jack do on occasion, and shattered the Collector drone's armor, giving Shepard ample time to plant one in its face.

It didn't matter in the least to Harbinger, however, because all he did was just transfer to another body. _**"Resistance is futile, you will join us. Willingly or otherwise."**_

"Fuck you!" I yell, huddling into cover to analyze what was damaged in that fight.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Shepard asked, genuinely curious about what Harbinger said.

"A good question for another time." I answered, seeing yellow conditions for my arms and ribcage. Nothing too serious, I conclude. "EDI, how much longer?!"

" _I am simultaneously fighting Collector firewalls in over 8,000 nodes. I am tasked to capacity."_

I've seen worse, she wasn't doing too bad. "Hang on, I'm boosting the connection again, that'll speed up the process."

"Not in the middle of a firefight you won't!" Shepard pulled me back down just as a scion's biotic discharge rocked the whole platform. "Gonna thin out the crowd first." She unholsters her rocket launcher and sends two to disorient the Collectors while I went to link up the AI properly with the Collector network.

"Reestablishing link!" I announced, watching as Shepard and Miranda defeated the first wave, giving us a couple of minutes before reinforcements arrived.

EDI's chesspiece manifestation appeared on the node, _"I have regained control of the platform, Shepard."_

"I thought we were going to have to take on every damn Collector here!" Shepard grunts in frustration.

" _Perhaps you should consider upgrading my hardware."_ EDI answered, bringing down the platform to get us underway.

"I just detected high levels of sass. She beat you by one second." I said with a smile.

Shepard rolled her eyes, "Did you get what we needed?"

" _I found data that could help us successfully navigate the Omega 4 Relay."_ EDI concluded, _"I have also found the turian distress call that served as a lure for this trap. The Collectors were the source, it is unusual."_

"Why? What are you getting at, EDI?" Shepard asked.

" _Turian emergency channels have secondary encryption. It is present, but corrupted in this message. It is not possible for the Illusive Man to believe that the distress call was genuine."_

"How are you sure?" I said.

" _I found the anomaly with Cerberus detection protocols. He wrote them."_

"That son of a bitch send us right into Collector hands!" Shepard snarled.

"There has to be some other explanation!" Miranda defended, although sounding a little unsure herself. "The Illusive Man wouldn't do this to us. He…he just wouldn't!"

" _Uh Commander?"_ Joker informed, _"We got another problem. The Collector ship is powering up. You need to get out of there before their weapons come online! I'm not losing another Normandy."_

" _I do not have full control of their systems, but I'll do what I can."_ EDI said, _"Sending coordinates for shuttle extraction."_

"Come on people, move it!"

We doubled back to where we came from, dodging Collector drone fire along the way. As if they weren't enough of a problem, Harbinger started sending hordes of husks to hinder our escape. It was a good thing I packed a flamethrower mod to the Supremus, otherwise we would be knee deep in husks and scions before even reachind said destination.

There was a faint whoosh as the flames engulfed the hallways, driving back the abominations and opening a path for us to cross through.

Harbinger must've seen this, and shut the bay doors, sending in a more improved version of the Praetorian for added measure.

That part made me mad.

"EDI, we got a problem here!" Shepard yelled above the combined noise of husks growling and that Praetorians screaming bloody murder.

" _A temporary setback on Firewall 3217. Rerouting commands through Firewall 7164."_

"No time, I'll handle this!" I called, accessing a nearby panel and hacking my way towards forcing that stubborn door open. "There, I got it! Moving on!"

The bay doors close behind us, and the angry Praetorian slams against it as it shuts. "Not today, ugly." I smirked.

We make a mad dash for the exits, hopping inside the waiting shuttle just before the Praetorian tears its way through the nearby wall.

Granger, our pilot, manages to dodge the shuttle out of the monster's particle beam as he flies us to safety. Once inside the Normandy, Shepard and I sprint towards the cockpit, where Joker furiously swipes at the controls.

A bright yellow beam of light streaks past us, which I could only assume came from the Collector ship. "I can't dodge this guy forever, EDI. Get us the hell out of here!" Joker yells.

" _Specify a destination, Mr. Moreau."_

Aw no, really?

"Anywhere that's not here!"

" _Very well, engaging mass effect core."_

There was a faint shudder as the Normandy enters FTL travel, and the stars streak past us as we narrowly evade getting disintegrated. Shepard heaves a sigh and pats Joker's seat, never forgetting his condition. She stumbles towards the elevator to head up to her cabin, and I help her get there without collapsing.

It got pretty quiet between us as I helped her off her armor, I would have to guess that was largely my fault.

As she sits on her bed while I pull at her boots, she asks. "Kara, what did Harbinger mean when he said he made you an offer?"

I pursed my lips, knowing that this was getting to me sooner or later, might as well spill.

"Back on Thanis, when we first encountered the Cult of Cerberi, when I interfaced with the derelict Reaper…I wasn't just there per se." I look her in the eye, "For a moment, my consciousness was pulled into the Reaper Collective, courtesy of Harbinger and every Reaper in dark space."

Noting her silence for me to continue, I did so. "Harbinger saw potential in me, said that there was nothing different about me and the Reapers, and that I should recognize my gift as an Artificial Intelligence and join them. I refused."

"When were you planning to tell me about this?" Shepard asked quietly.

I shook my head, "I didn't think it was relevant, so I kept it from you."

"There's more to it." Shepard pressed, "What did he show you?"

My mind flashes back to Harbinger's visions. Back to the remains of the battle of the Citadel, the derelict ships of the combined fleets of the Council Races, the Alliance…the Normandy. Back to vision of Shepard's lifeless body…

It was my turn to be silent now.

The Spectre's hand holds my cheek, "Kara, please. Don't keep secrets from me."

"I saw you dead, Shepard." My voice shook. I could never shed a tear, so this is the closest I could do to expressing that mixture of fear and sadness. "Everyone and everything. I saw it all. The Reapers have won."

"And you believed him?" My lover raises an eyebrow.

"It's not that easy, Shepard!" I raise my voice up a notch, "I'm not born into a pattern of thinking where everything bad can be disregarded when given the choice. I'm an AI, I remember everything in perfect detail and cannot- however I try- cannot dismiss the possibility that the vision is an accurate depiction of our future!"

"Basically, you did."

"Damn it, Shepard!"

"Look, Kara." The Commander takes my face in her hands, "Nobody knows the future, and if you even think of asking someone about it, you sure as hell can't trust the Reapers."

Oh. Good point.

"Also, I wanna ask you this. Why do you fight?"

I pause, "Because I know there's hope." I add later, "And because I know you'll kick my ass if I stop."

"Well…I can think of other things I could do with your ass- but anyway- my point exactly. There's hope, and that's the only thing you got to believe in."

I sigh and let my head fall on her lap. Shepard's hand caresses my hair as I begin my apology, "I'm sorry I flew off the handle with you earlier today."

"It's alright. I know you have to make big decisions, now that you're officially a goddess." She reassures me, "It isn't extreme for you to execute the perpetrators, especially when the given alternative is war." Five Spectres and six STG specialists died that day, barely enough to calm the angry followers.

"How can we stand united, when the goodwill I create is returned with this? The death of they keep this up, there's only so much I can do to stay the Cult's hand." I calculate 76 percent chance a war will break out, even before the Reapers arrive.

The truth is, I couldn't care less what happens to the Council. I'm keeping a war from breaking out because of one reason, and that's Shepard.

She knows it too, but she doesn't need to say anything about it.

"It's just another reason to hate them, don't give in to it, you're above that."

"No Shepard." I stand, "I'm never above hatred."

There's a hint of sadness in her eyes at my answer, but I ignore it. "Please excuse me, I'm scheduled to have another meeting with Ilenae and the rest of the Cult's leaders. And I think you have your own. The Illusive Man's got something to answer for."

"I love you Kara." Shepard calls after me as I exit the cabin, "Don't ever forget it."

"I won't."

 **}!{**

 **Was that part too extreme? I would never know, too many people hate the Council for being…well, themselves.**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Peace, out :)**


	45. Chapter 45: My Loyalty Mission Part One

**Mass Effect Andromeda is coming out! And I'm still not done! *weeps in shame*  
Forty or so chapters to go…**

 **Let's do this!**

 **}!{**

"Stand, Ilenae." I prompted the Matriarch when her image flickers to life, "I'm not some pompous overlord that requires anyone kneeling before me to stroke my ego."

" _It is merely tradition, my goddess, forgive us."_ And she stands. The small council that accompanied my second-in-command follows her actions, though keeping their heads respectfully bowed underneath their ellaborately designed cowls.

" _Our scientists have worked day and night without pause, and their efforts have borned fruit..."_ Xanthus, overseer of the majority of the research division, spoke up. _"My goddess, we are close to unlocking the secrets behind the Mass Relays. Our thanks for providing the preliminary information needed for such a project. We could not have done it without you."_

I smiled, "You have Vigil to thank for that." I referred, of course, to the files I downloaded from the old Prothean ruin back on Ilos. I never knew then that it would be crucial to future endeavors, but now…

Saarus, a gnarled turian veteran from the First Contact War, now a loyal servant of the Cult and invaluable member of the council, reported next. _"We have implemented the designs on your very own Titan, my goddess. Once built, Sovereign shall pale in comparison to its tremendous power. Though it is a meager testament to your magnificence, we but honor you. It shall stand ready when you return to us."_

"The wait will not be long, Saarus." I assure my general, "The Collectors come to their end, and soon. Just have the ships ready, for we never know how fast the Reapers will step up in their plans."

" _I live only to serve, my goddess."_

"Ilenae." I broach the subject carefully, "Have the dead been seen to proper burial?"

There was no expression whatsoever in Ilenae's face, save for the eyes that betrayed faint smolders of anger. _"They have, my goddess."_

"We forgive, old friend, but we will never forget." I said with a nod, "We do not work to save just the Council, of whom the blood of thousands cry against, we work to save this galaxy."

" _Yes, my goddess."_ My councilors bowed as they took their leave.

" _The storm is upon the horizon."_ Ilenae recites the prayer, _"But when it comes, we will be ready. Watch over us, protect us, burn within us, Ara Cerebri."_

"Take care, councilors. Keep up the good work." I said my farewells and logged off.

" _ **You allow them to worship you?"**_

I turned to see Caliban leaning against the threshold casually, "Let them believe what they want to believe."

" _ **Yet you know you are no god, why condone such a thing?"**_

"If that's what it takes to earn their unshakeable loyalty, then so be it." I answered, pushing off my seat.

" _ **So you simply think of them as a means to an end?"**_

"Assets." I corrected, "They are assets, dear brother. I will neither utilize them disregardingly nor irresponsibly. I'd say that's something the Illusive Man should learn from."

"Is there something else you wanted to discuss?" I asked, following an uncomfortable silence. Call me peckish, but I've noticed Caliban acting weirdly since that incident onboard the Collector ship.

" _ **I…it is nothing."**_ He dismissed just as the Commander steps off from the elevator. _**"Thank you for your time, I shall get back to work."**_

"Hope I'm not interrupting." Shepard said, watching as Caliban disappears behind the Jaeger. I wouldn't be surprised if I find him still hunched over those improvements he's been working on himself, I know I would've done the same if Ms. Lawson wasn't hassling my ass over working on the Normandy instead.

Caliban gets off easy, lucky him.

"Naw, not at all." I answered, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something for a while now. Been waiting until after you were finished doing favors for the rest of the crew before bringing it up."

"You didn't have to do that, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"I heard you fought a Thresher Maw when we got to Tuchanka, how did that go?"

"Grunt's happy, he's got his purpose." Shepard answers with a shrug, "I'm just glad that's over. It's been good, seeing Wrex leading his own clan these days. Anyway, Kara, what's this all about?"

"It's more of a personal thing, really." I started uncomfortably, "Hence, the need for the favor."

"Go on, take your time. I'm listening."

"It's about my Mother."

Shepard's brows come up, "Your mother?"

I nodded, "I haven't gotten around the issue for the last few decades, being busy with the Board and all. Now's a good chance to do so as any."

"You never told me you had a mother."

"Not my biological mother, obviously. She's my creator, and then she…sort of adopted me, treated me like her own." I started to think back on how I wouldn't speak of someone so close to me. Perhaps it was the loss that kept that part of me locked up? I sat down, "It's not that I didn't think it relevant to tell you, it's just…complicated."

"Tell me about her." Shepard sits beside me.

"Her name was Dr. Sierra Nguyen, the few close friends she had called her 'Kim'." I reflected, "She worked at Singularity, and just like any aspiring scientist, seduced by the idea of creating and discovering new things for the benefit of mankind. Of course, the Board was merely exploiting the talents of its employees and using it for its own ends. In my case, it wasn't so different."

"That's why it wanted you so bad?"

I nodded in affirmation, "I'm practically immortal, Shepard. Summed up in a vast ocean of codes and other digital wizardry, guaranteed never to fade away. That was something the Board coveted. And they would've gotten it, had it not for Mother's sacrifice."

Shepard frowns, "Why? What happened?"

"Five months after my commission, the Board sent its mercenaries to Detroit branch. Mother had openly protested at the gesture and locked down the facility."

"How'd she do that?"

"By taking the direct approach- demanding lockdown with a gun pointed at the security guard's head."

"Oh."

I stare blankly at the wall, "We rode down the elevator. Could've run free together, even as fugitives everything would've been fine. Could've stood in front of her and maybe she would've survived. But no…we stood side by side. Me, made of metal and synthetic parts. She, made of flesh and blood." My head hangs down and I let out a sigh, "The mercenaries let loose that hail, and Mother got caught in the crossfire…"

Shepard wraps an arm around my neck, "Kara. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to." I assured her, "The Cult managed to acquire some files that survived her office's destruction, courtesy of a follower who passed through Earth a few weeks ago. Mother stored most of her personal files in data packets to keep it from any network related access. That's why I couldn't get to it all these years. Problem is, the ship holding those files ran into some batarian pirates on the way to its rendezvouz point."

"You have any idea where they're holed up?" Shepard asked, "The pirates, I mean."

"Where else? Omega's their kingdom of opportunity, and the blackbox records detailed of the pirates' intentions of selling their loot to the black market."

"Omega? I think we can make that detour sooner than you think."

I smiled, "Thanks Shepard. This means a lot to me."

"Hey." She holds my hand, "Any time." And then she leaves for other pressing matters.

" _ **She is right, you know."**_ Caliban pops out from behind the Jaeger, _**"You never talk about this Dr. Nguyen."**_

"Eavesdropping much, brother?"

" _ **I do not mean to offend."**_ He apologized quickly, _ **"I am only surprised to see the impact that something like death could have on you."**_

"And I pray you will never feel it as keenly as I have."

 **}!{**


	46. Chapter 46: My Loyalty Mission Part Two

**}!{**

The lights from Omega's skyline flared across my eyes, making them twitch involuntarily to adjust to its glare. "I'd never thought I'd be here again so soon." I remembered the time I met Liara and her drell friend and first ran into Cerberus. That must've been a couple of years now, still as fresh in my mind as yesterday.

"I don't recall you setting foot here the whole time you've been with me." Shepard addresses my words, "Something you wanna tell me?"

Yeah, and she used to be a pile of bones and leftover pieces of metal. Look how far she's come. "Long story." I shrugged, "I'll tell you all about it after we finish this."

"Don't mind me." Tali comments, "I'm the one who never wants to set foot here ever again. Keelah, I should've double checked my toxin filters."

"Something tells me you're hating the criminal underworld more than the germs that come with it."

We headed down to Afterlife. I knew the rules of the galaxy's criminal underworld, and had little difficulty adhering to them. Aria T'Loak was the queen, and nothing goes down in her kingdom without her say-so. Permission's the key, and we'd have less trouble accomplishing our objective with it.

Not much has changed in the nightclub, save for the asari maidens who've moved to mercenary work and left space for the new ones looking to enjoy their youth as dancers. Now that I took the time to admire their work, I kind of like the shade of red that came with their outfits.

Shepard caught me staring and dragged me towards Aria's chamber. Uh…whoops, I guess.

The queen takes one look at the Commander and ushers her up to her throne with a subtle nod.

I wasn't allowed that close and neither was Tali. Perhaps the Commander did something in the past that earned her the outlaw queen's admiration? It looked like she did.

"What do you need?" I heard Aria ask.

"The Cult of Cerebri lost a shipment, we've reason to believe that the pirates responsible for the pillaging have come through here. Know anything about that?"

The knowing smirk crosses Aria's face, and she never hesitates to remind us about her place as undisputed ruler. "Now what kind of a leader would I be if I didn't? Yes, I've had some dealings with the Cult. They're good partners, keeps to the rules and keeps their distance. And I'm familiar with the scum that crossed them." The non-chalant expression in both her words and expressions spoke volumes on just how much she thought of the Cult.

Little, to say the least. That's how it works around here.

"You can find them peddling their stocks at pier 53." Aria takes a cigarrete holder and lights the stick on it, "Try not to leave a mess while you're at it, dear girl."

I realized then, she was talking to me. "No promises."

"Hmph, cute. I suggest you keep this one on a short leash, Shepard." She inhales the noxious fumes and puffs, "Consider that piece of advice on the house."

"Yeah. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." The Commander gets up and we leave Afterlife.

"So how'd you wanna approach this?" Shepard asks, detaching her rifle from her back and priming up the plasmic charge.

I scanned the docks, marking four batarian engineers, two attack drones hovering above as they moved the crates. Vorcha marauders stood idly in the corners, cradling their flamethrowers and rocket launchers as they awaited further orders. "I would recommend an indirect take, Commander. Though personally, I think that'll be less fun."

"We'll need a distraction, draw the vorcha away from the carrier." Tali pointed out, referring to the behemoth held in place by the docking clamps. I had to guess that the captain's a greedy scumbag and chose the biggest ship for the biggest loot.

If Mother's logs are anywhere, it'll be inside that ship.

"Not a problem for an AI." I smirked, pausing for a bit to remotely activate the inert LOKI mechs standing next to the vorcha pack. As expected, all hell broke loose as the marauders scrambled to get to cover, confused and bewildered at what just happened.

The mechs did their job at keeping the pirates occupied, and the three of us dashed towards the undefended carrier.

"Remind me again why you brought me here?" Tali complained, her fingers tapping furiously at her Omni-tool to get the stubborn cargo bay door open.

"In a galaxy full of hackers, quarians stay on top. And you Tali…" I duck as a bullet whizzed past my head, "…are the best there is at what you do!"

"Flattery doesn't get this damn thing to work any faster!" She yelled back, finally breaking through and letting us in before shutting it back down, much to the annoyance of the vorcha pirates swarming over the hangar. "Besides.." She paused for a breath, "You're an AI! I thought you had that thing in the bag."

"You know what they say." Shepard comments while a jet of steam ejects from her plasma rifle's chamber. "Two makes a team, three makes an army."

"And something tells me we'll need one for what waits outside this ship…" The quarian engineer takes a look back at the violently shuddering door.

"Quit complaining." I holster the Supremus rifle and began making my way through the crates of stolen archive data packets that were acquired from the Cult ship headed for Thanis. "This is the place, Mother's files are here somewhere."

"Now what?"

"Now." I sifted through the stacks before me, "We scan each document until we find all those personal logs Mother recorded prior to my creation."

"That'll take hours." Tali said discouragingly.

"That's what the drones are for." I answered, "Get Chatika running up, this will take only a few minutes."

Suddenly, a krogan bursts from the door opposite of us, bellowing like an angry bull. "Get off my ship!"

Then again, maybe it'll take an hour or two.

I dove to the side just as a hundred shrapnels launched from his Graal Spikethrower, knowing that no amount of kinetic shielding would protect me from that. "Now who the hell's this guy?!"

"I think that's the captain!" Shepard yells back humorously.

"Yeah? Well he sure sounds pissed!"

The krogan's feet stomps hard on the floor as he prepares to charge, knocking aside the cargo boxes in an attempt to flush us out. It came as a surprise to me that no mere two shots of Shepard's rifle could take this guy out.

The only krogan I know who can regenerate that fast is Wrex, and he's back on Tuchanka! Guess they don't nominate pirate captains without skills these days. I swear, they get tougher each year.

Chatika was no help in this fight, all that little drone did was make the guy madder than he already was.

Once he stopped to reload, I quickly rushed out of cover, firing the Supremus as I did so.

The bullets bounced off his armor, leaving little more than a scratch where they hit, but they did a good job knocking him back a few feet.

I made the mistake of getting too close, and the battlemaster slapped away my weapon, grabbing me by the arm. He laughed when I slammed my fist under his chin, though it served only knock away the captain's helmet, and brutally wrenched the arm trapped in his grip!

My entire system flared up as he tore out the limb just above the elbow. Synthetic blood and sparks spilled from ruined veins and split wires.

Staggering back, I left an opening for Shepard to take advantage, and she did. With no helmet to protect his face, a well placed headshot painted the floor below a nice shade of red.

"Surprise." I smiled over the corpse, glancing at the stump where my arm used to be.

"Kara, you alright?" Shepard, who has yet to get used to the idea of me losing a limb or two and surviving the ordeal, asked.

"I will be, if we find what we came for." I answered, looking at the mess of a cargo hold the battle left behind. "Now how are we supposed to find it in this meshiver?"

Shepard stopped, bent down, and held up a data packet. On its side were the words that looked like it was hastily etched by a knife _To Kara_ _._

"Oh." I took it from her hands, "Good. Now all we've got to worry about is the vorcha standing outside."

"Won't be a problem." Shepard cocks her rifle. "Let's do this and we can go home."

"And I'll finally hear a message sixty years overdue."

 **}!{**


	47. Chapter 47: The Thanis Incident

**Goodbye 2016, hello 2017.**

 **It's been a while since I've updated this fic, and I apologize for not doing so sooner.**

 **I'm at a hospital while writing this chapter, recovering after a mugging gone wrong. Fun Fact: If you find yourself wondering what it feels like to get stabbed and think that it works like the movies that its easy to shrug off, please take it from someone who knows.**

 **It hurts like hell, and there's nothing to shrug off about.**

 **Anyways, while being confined to a bed with little movement available to my lower extremeties bugs the hell out of me, it will certainly not impede my progress any more than it has.**

 **With all the time I've got lying on a bed, I've got nothing else to do than write write write…**

 **Enjoy :)**

 **}!{**

"Kara, got a minute?"

I swivel in my chair and face the Commander, smoothening my skirt and putting on a polite smile. Shepard gives a sideward glance at the cable attached to my chest that snaked along the side of the swivel-chair and hooked up to the Jaeger's antimatter engine. "For you, Jane, I've got all twenty four hours."

"Oh, a bad time?"

I shook my head, "Just recharging. Other than that, I'm free to accommodate you."

Shepard enters the cockpit and leans on the wall beside me, "Okay. Just wanted to check on you before heading out. Tali's not doing too well, getting butterflies about the trial the Admiralty Board's gonna put her through. Gotta be there when it happens."

I nodded, "I understand. And don't worry, I don't have a problem with you not taking me along for the ride. The quarians are hardly in good terms with synthetics for the last hundred years. It's a miracle Tali's more accepting of me, and I hate to cause a scene."

Shepard smiles, "Attagirl. But there is that other thing…" The Commander pulls on a stool and sits beside me, "How are you coping with your mom's message?"

I emitted a sigh, "The message files corroded a long time ago, Shepard…I wasted your time on Omega, time that could've been spent on fighting the Collectors. I'm sorry…"

"Hey…" Shepard takes my hand and squeezes it, "It wasn't a waste of time for me. Whatever gives my girl closure is worth the effort."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, "It certainly failed to give me any of that."

"No?" Shepard's brow arches, "You said that the message corroded, that usually means you got some pieces of it."

She was correct to assume as much. "Yeah…The message starts with a 'Kara, if you're watching this, then it means I'm dead.' The rest glitches up, twists into a distorted gibberish of corrupted data. It skips to the middle with a 'I created you because I saw something beautiful budding up in these dark times. God knows we need our own angels in this world.' Another set of annoying glitches and then the message ends 'I love you, Kara. Remember, the world does not define what you are, your decisions will. And I know you'll always make the right ones, sweetie.'"

Shepard was smiling when I finished relating the whole story, "Then there you have it, the whole message in three sentences."

I didn't believe her, "Shep, it's not that simple. Mother was a very practical woman, she would've said more than just-

The Commander shushed my retort, "Sometimes messages are hidden within themselves. I never met your mother, but I sure as hell know what she's trying to say. And believe me, Kara, those three sentences in that corroded file are all you have to listen to. They're the three words, the goodbyes, and the parting advice all rolled into one."

She's right though. Sometimes practical people cover up what they really mean with a lot of words. I'm just glad I got lucky that the file corroded itself in all the right places.

We share a moment of silence, which I break first a minute later. "You called your mom yet?"

Shepard shakes her head, "Pretty sure the Alliance's keeping tabs on her in case I do. I don't wanna put her through that trouble, she's busy enough with all that Admiral stuff on her hands. Maybe I will…y'know, after this is all over and I'm out of Cerberus."

I smiled in approval, "So you don't plan on staying a Cerberus operative? Good to know."

"After what happened with the Illusive Man and that Collector ship? Hell no." Shepard answers with a grin. She stands, "Anyway, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Gotta run, can't keep our little quarian waiting."

The Commander was halfway through the door when she glanced at the cable in my chest and stops, "Since when have you gotten rid of your mass effect core? I thought you recharge when you're asleep?"

I shrugged, "Not anymore. I'm upgrading myself to using antimatter. The quick reaction cycling ensures I won't have to recharge again." I glance down at the cable and carefully extract it, "There, all done."

I notice Shepard getting a little uncomfortable with the prospect, "Don't worry, I guarantee that it's safe to handle. It's not in the prototype stage anymore." My feet tap lightly on the cargo bay floor as I move to prepare for my journey. "I should be getting ready as well."

"Where you going?" Shepard asked.

"You didn't get my message?" I inquired, strapping up my boots and donning my jacket. "That's fine. If you must know, I'm heading out with Caliban to meet up with Matriarch Ilenae. She requested my presence a little over a week ago?"

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to take that up." She recalled, "Well, if you've got nothing else to do. Fly safe."

I nodded, "You too, Commander."

" _ **Does she know the real reason why you're meeting with the Matriarch and the council?"**_ Caliban asks me once Shepard was out of earshot. My empty gaze was enough of an answer. _**"I thought it was you who taught me it is not wise to take matters like these up alone."**_

Caliban spoke of a situation brewing within the Cult. Ilenae had reported that several Cult members with significant influence over the converts had been stirring up disbelief and dissent amongst the ranks.

I knew issues like these would happen sooner or later. Caliban had a point when he said I should let Shepard in to aid in handling the rebellion, but I knew she had more pressing concerns to attend to.

Better that she knows less so she can focus on the Collectors. Besides, technically speaking I didn't lie about anything.

"Shepard's got a lot on her plate. I can handle this." I answered, priming up the Jaeger's engines to take us off the cargo bay and out into the darkness of space. "Besides, dear brother…I'm not taking it up alone, I have you to keep me company…"

" _ **I suppose…"**_ Caliban replied in resignation.

The Mass Relay's rings oscillate quickly as our tiny vessel was catapulted a thousand lightyears away from the Normandy's position. I had made the arrangement before we left that I would establish contact and rendezvouz with the Normandy once the whole business was concluded.

The trip back to Thanis was well received upon our arrival. Hovering above the desert world was a new orbital station, which came as a surprise since the last time we were here, the Cult was harboring a derelict Reaper.

" _Jaeger, you are clear to dock. Welcome aboard the Scaen'Vihaas, my goddess."_ The operator greeted, sending the coordinates for my ship to follow so as not to encounter any problems with the air traffic all around the station.

There was no translation available for anyone's Omni-Tool to properly understand the station's name. From what I can decipher, it was from an ancient dialect pre-dating the asari's evolution to the utilitarian pidgin they used today. This one, of course, was not in any way influenced by the Protheans.

It meant 'Scale of War'. An accurate discription, given the circumstances.

Here, the Cult utilizes the pool of resources to construct the new type of warship our engineers have come up with. With the busy days that has passed, I regretted that I hadn't taken the time to admire the teamwork showed by all the races under that one faith.

It's that same faith I will address for today.

Ilenae was waiting with all my other councilors at the docks. All around us, workers flitted from place to place to their duties, but stopped when they realized I was present.

Everyone fell to their knees and prostrated themselves at my feet.

Ilenae bowed, "Ara Cerebri, Lord Caliban, you honor us with your presence."

My brother remained silent, and I bid everyone to rise, "The time for the war against the Reapers is near. Let us tend to whatever matters hinder our progress, shall we?"

The matriarch showed me in, "This way, my goddess." As the councilors gathered around me, a squad of the matriarch's personal guard formed a protective circle and maintained formation as we crossed the threshold of the great station.

I noted the tall mechanized power armor the pilots were encased in, marveling at the swift implementations of my designs in that span of time since Ilenae and I last spoke. "How fares the fabricators? Are our troops well supplied?"

Saarus, my general and Ilenae's most trusted military advisor, spoke up. "In full detail report, if I may. The NEMEAN armor designs have transcended the prototype phase, and they are already in distribution. Plasma based weaponry has replaced the standard mass accelerators, for special applications we've begun researching on rail-gun technology. I give my word by the end of the month, our mechanized units will be armed accordingly."

I nodded in approval, "Speaking of which, I would know of the progress on the Nexus." The Nexus, pride and magnum opus of the Cult's psintegret division, would be the key for me to psintegretally control the Cult's mechanized units, be it in any place in the galaxy. Basically, I would be everywhere at once, should I hook myself up to that glorified satellite.

Of course, there would be complications. But I won't let them get in my way if this would greatly aid in our war against the Reapers.

"It stands ready for testing, my goddess." Simera, the salarian specialist in charge of the development teams overseeing the Nexus' construction, assured me. "Soon your voice shall be heard throughout the galaxy."

" _ **You fear her silence?"**_ Caliban asks.

"It is unbearable." Saarus answered, "Without her to guide us in these dark times, we are lost."

" _ **I think some of you prefer her that way."**_

Matriarch Ilenae frowned at his words, "Yes. The unbelievers. They have proven themselves to be quite a nuisance over the week, but as of late they have gone more volatile as much as they are bold."

I nodded, "Well, I'm here. That's the reason I came, show me to them."

"They are currently under lockdown in the planet below." Saarus pointed out, "They have started to riot since then, threatening to put the cities to flame if the grounding of their transporters is not lifted."

" _ **Tempted to use lethal force?"**_ Caliban subtly suggested, _**"Should they try, it is only logical to maintain order, is it not?"**_

"No!" I declared firmly, "They but demand proof of my position as leader-

"As goddess." Ilenae corrected.

"Gasundheit." I muttered, "They but demand proof of my position as goddess, some show of my strength and absence of flaws. It is of no consequence, and I shall oblige." I turn to Ilenae, "I do not bow in defeat, my friend, I merely instruct the wayward children."

" _ **Then let us journey to the planet's surface, and teach them severest lesson."**_

The council transporter was readied within minutes, and I watched as they took away my beloved Jaeger. Ilenae assured me that the specialists were just going to recalibrate and add a little modifications while we were away, stating that there was no harm in doing so if the intent was to give me all the edge I needed.

I let it go, focusing on the speech I would give to the dissidents. If I cannot change their minds, then they have no place among us. I won't kill them, that act alone would cut down on the Cult's flow of converts should word get out, and I need all the manpower available.

As we embarked for the desert world, the Unity Doctrine broadcasted on all frequencies what was going on in the surface. Apparently, things did get out of hand quicker than I realised.

Firefights erupted all over Seinh'Vhas, the largest urban center on Thanis. The rise in the population over the past week served to be detremental, for the dissidents causing trouble cared little about civilian casualties.

News footage showed in great detail the chaos sowed upon the citadel's streets. The longer I watched, the angrier I got.

Bodies of men, women and children lay lifeless on the ground. The camera drone focused on the rebels, showing that they now donned NEMEAN armor, most likely stolen from nearby depots. The chatter of their guns drowned out the screams of their victims, their courage bolstered by one of the anarchist leaders.

" _Death to the false goddess! Die, heretics!"_ The krogan battlemaster bellowed, brandishing a chainsword in his hands and spilling blood and gore from those unfortunate enough to be in its path.

"Where is this being recorded?" I asked, my anger hardly kept from affecting my tone.

"The city's Temple of Communion, my goddess." Ilenae replied. "We're landing not far from the source, where it will be safe-

"I'm not here to feel safe for myself, Ilenae." I answered, rising from my seat and slapping a palm on the door's controls. Caliban takes the hint from what I'm about to do and follows me as I jumped off the transport, leaving a horrified Ilenae with the other councilors.

"Don't just stand there!" I heard her yell at her personal guard, "Protect the goddess with your lives!"

I landed with a loud crack on the concrete roof overlooking the square, my servos absorbing the shock of the fall anf compensating accordingly. Caliban hovered just above my shoulder, _**"All thoughts of leniency disposed of?"**_

"I have done so…the moment innocent blood was shed." I stated grimly, "Change of plans, brother. This mission is no longer about appeasement, we're here to dispense justice."

" _ **I am with you, sister, whichever path you take."**_

With all that said and done, I joined the fight taking place below."There she is, the false goddess!" Came the furious cry, and everyone focused on me and Caliban.

Ilenae's guard, all towering 8-foot giants in those suits, dropped down from the sky and followed me in, soaking up what fire came my way.

I didn't want anyone else taking the blow for me, but no amount of protests would sway the guards from their zealous take on duty. I have Ilenae to thank for the way she handles the faith of the Cult, she takes it way beyond anything I've ever seen.

"Cover the civilians!" I ordered, seeing the wounded and the otherwise intact huddled together amongst wrecked and battered vehicles. "They need your protection more than I do!"

The captain opened his mouth to protest again, but Caliban cuts him off with a cold glare. _**"This form is expendable, flesh is not. Do as she says, commander."**_

He nodded in fear, "Yes, my lord." Two of his men move two abandoned cargo trucks together as a makeshift barrier, relying on the NEMEAN armor's strength to accomplish the feat.

I went low and Caliban took to the skies, using the magnetizers installed on his knuckles to snatch up debris and smashing them against the rebels' attack drones, covering for me as I sprinted past fallen trees and smashed buildings to get to my objective.

The krogan leader was seated on the roof of the main gun of a Mastodon S4 battle tank, another recently mass produced and distributed result of ingenius crafting of both salarian and human hands. Turns out, what once could be an invaluable asset could just as easily become a great threat.

I still had the blueprints in the back of my memory banks, so I knew its weaknesses. After all, I helped built it. Like any tank, when rendered immobile, a little show of inhuman strength could tear the turret and main gun right off its rings. That is- if I can get close enough to do that.

The Mastodon was created to funnel its enemies down to its main gun's sights, relying on the heavy barrage its mini-rockets and rotating plasma cannons does. There was little room for a blind spot, especially with a krogan manning that killing machine.

Shells screamed overhead, slamming hard against the surrounding buildings, throwing debris and broken glass all over me. It took roughly two hours before the whole city turned into a warzone. I've never been to Tuchanka, but from how Shepard describes it, it was what you can expect from a nuclear aftermath.

With the kind of weapons the Cult and I've been putting together, I guess it is accurate to categorize my surroundings that way.

A storm of bullets received us as we gained ground, two of the guards accompanying me fell when the hail overwhelmed their defenses. In the skies above, we could hear the Cult's gunships engaging the rebel army below, rallying to me when they realized my presence was the signal to punch in.

Grabbing onto the fallen weapon in the dead guard's hands, I wrested it from her grip and activated its smart-bombs, sending the little shards homing in on the enemy's position with deadly accuracy. Once the weapon was spent, I had to

My new core was more than enough to sustain a rapidly-cycling barrier, so I had little to worry about getting shot. "Caliban!" I called, "I can't reach them, too many up in the skies!" I ducked when the krogan leader shot a rocket in my direction, "And that guy's got a fucking rocket launcher, help a sister out will ya?"

" _ **I guess it's time we use that Javelin manuever, you up for it?"**_

I nodded and waited until he could get closer. When he finally did, I rigidly straightened out my body and allowed Caliban to hoist me onto his shoulder, bracing myself for impact as he hurled me through the smoke filled air and heading straight for the Mastodon supertank.

I covered my face with my arms as I hit headfirst into the Mastodon's glacis plate, knocking the massive vehicle with such force that it tipped to expose its undercarriage for brief second.

The rebel leader jumped off his perch and drew his chainsword, revving up its engine and sending the still-drying blood on its teeth spilling all over the dusty ground. Caliban took this chance to get close to the Mastodon, gripping below the turret in an attempt to pry it right off its ring.

"Your entrails will adorn my armor, false goddess!" The krogan bellowed.

"And I'll have your plate mounted on my desk, blasphemer." I answered, putting on the persona of a dignitary. My words seem to hit home, and the intimidated rebel charged at me, unaware of Caliban as he used the broken Mastodon turret as a makeshift club and sent him flying head over heels agains the nearby wall.

I knew that a rebellion is only good with a figurehead more or less intact. Take down the leader, and it all falls to pieces.

With that in mind, I sauntered over to the downed krogan. I was aware of the camera drones hovering behind me, and I took control of them. I wanted to make sure that the execution of the rebel leader was broadcasted on all channels.

Grabbing onto the top of his plate, one firm tug was enough to separate it from the krogan's skull.

I focused the cameras on the piled dead left amongst the ruined buildings, and then to the mangled corpse of the krogan battlemaster. Staring into the lens, I addressed the rebels who kept on long after the fight was over.

"Attention, all you who deny the faith!" I held up the bloody krogan plate in my hand, "Your commander is dead, his blood still hot upon my hands! Your pathetic attempts to terrorize my followers is doomed to fail from the start. Lay down your arms and surrender!"

I waited a bit for the message to get through, half-expecting a brief but ill-fated display of zealous opposition, but contrary to my expectations, the rebels surrendered.

Ilenae rounded them up and sent the Cult's soldiers into Seinh'Vhas to secure the city. All the wounded were carried over to the medical centers, where the most advanced aid equipment was made available.

" _ **Well…that was all too brief."**_ Caliban commented, turning his gaze to the surviving rebels now on their knees in the city square. _**"What now?"**_

Ilenae and the councilors looked to me for a decision. And I knew then that whatever I decide to do here will affect what the Cult thinks about me for generations to come. Yet I didn't give it a second thought, knowing that mercy could not be shown to these terrorists, especially since so many had died as a consequence of their actions.

I gave my answer, just as I had with the Spectres who sabotaged the Cult's operations a month ago. "Execute them."

There was no surprise in the councilors' faces when I did so, giving the command with a flick of the wrist, and the body count of the day rose significantly.

I did not turn away nor shut my ears when my soldiers carried out their orders, bearing the full weight of a leader for the first time. When the rattle of gunfire died down and the last of the rebels fell lifeless on the street, I found myself asking…

Would Shepard have done the same in my place?

 **}!{**

 **Internet's a little choppy here in the hospital, but I got it through, hopefully. Thank you all for you continued support, please leave a review, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my progress.**


	48. Chapter 48: A Talk with TIM

**Thanks for the reviews, my dear readers. And don't worry, I don't need a doctor's note to tell me I'll pull through.**

 **So here's where we left off;**

 **Kara just earned herself +10 points in Renegade for those executions :P and now she's got to deal with the consequences of her actions.**

 **}!{**

" _ **Well well, popularity seems to swell in your favor…"**_

I gave my brother a disapproving sidewards glance and then stared back into the screen. Just within two days, the video of the rebels' execution went viral on the Extranet, spreading over every social network like a plague.

I shut it off, not in the mood to listen to that reporter Al-Jilani ramble on about me being the '23rd Century's Hitler'. Westurland News seems to have a significant pull on media influence, not even excluding the members of the Cult. But I chose not to dwell on it, knowing what I did was just. Anyone who says otherwise….

They can go to hell.

"The only people who will listen to that hogwash is the inner circle of the Alliance." I answered contemptively, "They have forgotten their people in the colonies, an oversight that we have not let pass. In return, the colonists look to us for protection. Protection, Caliban, is something I will not hesitate to provide. As for the rebels? I will not tolerate acts of terrorism, especially within the Cult."

" _ **It is refreshing to see you take charge over them so elegantly. But back to the Alliance, does it mean that they have grown lax in their security?"**_

"They focus on pleasing the Council, or at least Councilor Udina does. They refuse to look at the big picture, ignoring the real threat out here." I sighed, "In the two years the Commander's been gone, I counted fifty six colonies lost to the Collectors. That numbers about one million and three hundred seven settlers."

Caliban nodded, _**"You sound just as frustrated as Shepard."**_

"I am. That's why I understood what motivated her to accept aid from Cerberus." I turned for a moment to see how much further we were to the rendezvouz point we arranged for the Normandy to meet up with. "Once we're done with this Collector business, I will lead AEGIS against the Reapers. When that time comes, it will be their turn play the victim."

" _ **AEGIS?"**_ Caliban asks.

I nod, "Yes. If we are to be the shield of the galaxy, we ought to have a proper name, now don't we?"

My brother's metallic lips twitched into a smile, _**"I suppose the name 'Cult of Cerebri' has lost its appeal along the line?"**_

I chuckled, "See? You can joke without even trying."

The Jaeger exits FTLT a minute later, and I guide it towards the waiting stealthship. The Normandy had a new scratch on its hull, giving off the hint that Tali's trial wasn't as simple as I thought it would've been.

When asked about it, I was directed to the medbay where Shepard's wounds were being tended. Leaving Caliban behind in the cargo hold, I took the elevator up to Deck 3.

Shepard was seated on the bed, looking a bit worse for wear. A few cuts and scratches being mended by the medigel, a bandage here and there, but she was alive.

"Hey there." I greeted, grabbing a chair so I can sit next to her. "Trial didn't go so well?"

Shepard smiled, took my hand and kissed it. "Nah, we handled it. Though, the geth couldn't have picked a better time to get involved."

"Why? What happened?"

"Tali's dad was working on hacking the geth, going against the Fleet's protocols, and that's where things went wrong. By the time we got there to contain the geth threat, everybody on that ship was dead." She catches that look in my eye, "Tali's down in the engine room, please be careful if you decide to talk to her, she's still grieving."

I shook my head, "Knowing you, I think you've handled that part already. I'll give her time to recover, only then will I talk to her."

We share a moment of silence, left alone as Dr. Chakwas went for breakfast. I realized then that Caliban and I had expended all twenty four hours, it was now 6:30 in Sol hours.

I got up to leave, "I should go, you need your rest."

Her left eyebrow twitched, "Just a nap." Shepard lies back, "In a few hours I'll need you and Caliban to accompany me on my next mission."

"So soon? Alright, you know where to find me."

Just as I got to the door, Yeoman Chambers pages me on the intercom. _"Ms. Solana, the Illusive Man wishes to speak with you in the Briefing Room."_

I stop to give Shepard a confused look. What could the Illusive Man want from me? "Are you sure you're not mistaking Solana with Shepard? Those names hardly sound alike, y'know."

" _He was very specific in his request. It's definitely you."_

Correction, what could he _not_ want from me? With AEGIS being the organization in the galaxy, other than Cerberus, to ignore the Council's laws in an attempt to curb technological development among the races, why wouldn't he jump at the first opportunity? After all, if he gave the order for those agents of his to infiltrate AEGIS, and would request an audience after the attempt, something must've gone wrong on his end.

I would oblige his request, but will tread carefully… He might not be the enemy at the moment, but that could change in a heartbeat.

"On my way." I bade the Commander farewell and took the elevator to the CIC. The Illusive Man was waiting for me.

The room's lights were switched off, save for the circle in the middle of the room which I was required to step on to.

His electric blue eyes studied me as his lips blew a puff of smoke from the cigarette in between his fingers. _"Ms. Solana."_ A faint hiss erupts as he dips the stick in the ashtray on his chair.

I tilt my chin downwards, "Mr. Harper." His name came up from some of the old Shadowbroker's files I copied with permission from Dr. T'Soni. In this instance, that came in handy.

" _Hm, only a few people in the galaxy know me by that name. Most of them are dead."_ That was a warning, the Illusive Man was not above making threats, no matter how subtle they are. _"But then, we didn't come here to discuss each other's personal details, have we?"_

"We are both leaders, Illusive Man, smart ones too. I have a commander to keep alive long enough to face the Reapers and a growing organization to run. Don't mince words, tell me what you want."

" _To the point of this meeting then."_ He leaned back casually, _"Very few people fully understand the situation the galaxy's in. There's me, there's Commander Shepard, and then there's you. It's something the main governing body of this galactic community is lacking- perspective."_

"Can't argue with that." I knew where he was getting at, the Illusive Man's edging towards proposing an alliance between AEGIS and Cerberus. Of course, the only thing he'd be getting out of this was to further his cause to turn humanity into the dominant species- much like the Protheans.

Whether or not that was a good thing is something left for scholars to debate. "You want to ally yourself with AEGIS, I see. But before we go any further, answer a simple question for me, if you will."

He waits patiently for said question. "Everyone wants a piece of AEGIS these days. What makes you so different from them?"

The Illusive Man blows another cloud of smoke through his nose, _"I asked nicely."_

"Sorry. But you're going to have to be a little bit more convincing than that, I'm afraid."

The lips corners of the charismatic tychoon twitch upward into a foxy smirk, _"You know one cannot stand alone against the Reapers."_

"But if I have to ask help from a human-centric terrorist organization who would do anything to further their ascencion even at the expense of the innocent? Is it truly worth it? What will stop you from turning against youur allies if say- the Reapers offered to uplift you?"

He nods, calm and collectively replying. _"There will be no such agreement. The only way I, or Cerberus, would come to terms with them is if indoctrination is involved. Peace with the Reapers is slavery, something I will never subject mankind to."_

He loves mankind too much. That's enough for me. _"Besides, I've heard you've perfected the art of unindoctrination. That's why allying with you is the best course of action. It will be mutually benefitial."_

I ponder on his words for a minute.

"Don't make me regret this."

" _I've made a lot of enemies in my lifetime. I'd hate to add you to their number so soon."_ He taps on the stick on his fingers to let off some ash.

I give my new ally an affirming nod and turn my heel, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some news to relay to my council."

 **}!{**

 **+10 points in Renegade again for allying with Cerberus. Asset gained for Mass Effect 3 ;)**


	49. Chapter 49: IFF

**Sorry for the delay in the updates.**

 **Got recently released from the hospital when I got the news that the muggers got caught. Had to spend my time in court testifying among other things instead of writing.**

 **Now, I don't hate the muggers for what they did to me. But a girl's gotta do her part to keep the justice system running, right?**

 **Anyways, I'm back and that's all that matters. Please enjoy :)**

 **}!{**

"The hell's up with all the chop, Joker?" I asked as the whole ship rocked and shuddered from our approach to Mnemosyne, the gas giant where we were to acquire the IFF needed for the trip through the Omega Relay.

"Doing my best!" His hands flitted all over the monitors, compensating for the violent winds. "The wind's gusting up to 500 kph!"

The shuddering decreases a bit as we passed the mesosphere, and Shepard walks up to the cockpit, all geared up and ready to go. "Any sign of that Reaper?"

The clouds cleared enough for us to see the derelict craft. "There's a second ship alongside the Reaper. It's not transmitting any IFF, but the ladar paints its silhouette as geth."

" _ **I guess we know why the science team stopped reporting in."**_ Caliban commented.

And just like that, the shuddering stops.

"What just happened?", says the Commander.

" _ **The Reaper's mass effect fields are still active."**_ Caliban observed.

"We must've passed inside their envelope." Joker agreed, "Eye of the hurricane, huh?" He manuevers the Normandy to dock at the exposed underside of the massive warship, careful to attach the clamps onto the ancient craft so that we can have a safe exit once we're done.

It felt like my skin crawled off my skeleton when we entered the dormant Reaper. After springing that trap laid by Harbinger and the Collective on Thanis, I vowed never to be venture inside a Reaper's head again. It looks like I broke that vow, literally speaking. But keeping Shepard backed up was my top priority, hence the decision to accompany her on the mission.

Still, I was far from comfortable. "Places like these, expect something mechanical and scary to jump out of the corners."

Being inside a Reaper, chances are we're gonna get swarmed. I could almost hear the husks moaning from the far end of that narrow corridor.

Upon entering the decontamination chamber, it seemed like the dormant Reaper knew the moment we would step in, and a violent shudder rocked the whole ship. I sensed a bit of static run through the comm channel the moment the shaking started.

"Come in Joker!" Shepard called, "What the hell just happened?"

" _The Reaper put up kinetic barriers! I don't think we can get through from our side."_

Caliban's eyes narrowed, _**"We're trapped."**_

"More complications, just what we need." I sighed.

"Calm down, there's always a solution to every problem." Shepard interjected, "We can destroy the barrier generators from the inside while we look for the IFF. We'll get our objectives done in one go."

"EDI, any ideas where the source might be?" I inquired from the shackled AI.

" _At the moment of activation, I detected a heat spike in what is likely the wreck's mass effect core. Sending the coordinates now."_

"Mhm, thanks." I said, feeling the data stream into my head. It discouraged me a bit to know that the core was a long way down where we stood, but the feeling was cast aside once I reminded myself about the importance of acquiring the IFF. Won't let the XO catch me having cold feet…

" _Be advised; this core is also maintaining the Reaper's altitude."_

So that means, the moment we break the core, the Reaper makes a headlong plunge into Mnemosyne's crust. "Lovely."

Caliban looked down and said, _**"Better get a move on, I'm detecting movement from the lower levels. A lot of it…"**_

Joker responded, _"Copy that. Good luck in there, shore party…"_

And so began the long walk. My eyes darted cautiously over every opening in the walls, preparing for the imminent clash as we made for the core. Fortunately for us, I helped install a flamer in each of Caliban's gauntlets before we reached Mnemosyne.

The perfect deterrent against husks.

They started poking their ugly heads out of the ceiling, dropping like newly hatched larvae and scrambling after us. Caliban let off a steady stream of fire from his flamers, leaving charred skeletons in our wake.

Shepard let him handle the husks since it's common knowledge that there are bigger fishes to worry about, and saved her ammunition.

Sure enough, the Scions were waiting halfway down the catwalks. The mechanical monstrosities brought their heavy weapons to bear, letting loose three bursts from their cannons that were powerful enough to shatter AEGIS' strongest barriers.

Agility was one of the Commander's gifts, and she dodged the shots expertly, timing every shot before returning some of her own. Tenacity was Caliban's specialty, and he absorbed the swarming husks' attacks like the iron wall that he was, hardly straining himself as he shoves them aside or crushes them into a bloody pulp with his bare hands.

One of the benefits of an anti-matter core is that I can generate as much pure biotic force as I wanted minus the risks of an overload, and I used this to my advantage. Charging up and letting the biotic energies hoist me up in the air, a concentrated beam of light shot out from my chest and cut a swath through the screaming masses!

For a moment, all gravity was cut off from that section of the wreck, and then we all came crashing down amongst the twitching limbs and gory remains. Apparently, anti-matter doesn't agree with Reaper systems very much…

"Wow." Shepard commented, "That'll come in handy."

"If you're looking to fight in 0-G, then yes it's going to come in handy." I answered with a shake of my head, "No more of that. I'd prefer using it when we're back on solid ground."

I pretty much tore a hole through the derelict Reaper's hull with that stunt, showing a decent view of Mnemosyne's dust swept atmosphere outside. It was a welcome change of scenery, if compared with the dozens of still-processing corpses of Cerberus operatives impaled on those spikes called "dragon's teeth".

Two husks squealed as each had their heads ripped clean off with an impressive snipe. The discharge wasn't ours though, but from a geth perched on top of a barricade.

What separated it from a normal geth trooper should look like was a piece of what looked like the Commander's old N7 armor that adorned its shoulder, aside from the gaping hole in its chest. Geth don't take trophies in battle, and in seeing this one deviate from that reputation piqued my interest in a very unique way.

Was there a change going on in the consensus that I was not made aware of?

" _Shepard-Commander."_

" _ **Nice to see even the Geth know your name."**_ Caliban complimented Shepard.

The Geth sniper walked away and disappeared behind the barricade. _**"I've got a feeling we'll see that one again very soon."**_

"Since when do they operate alone? They get smarter the more of them there are." I mused as we pushed forward, dealing with the husks that had followed and caught up to us all the while.

" _ **I don't think this one had the option."**_ Caliban replies as he non-chalantly drenches the husks with more flames. Lucky for us, our enemies conformed to only one strategy; swarming tactics. They hardly left room for adjustments, so it made our job a little bit easier since we knew what to expect.

"Gotta hand it to ya, Kara!" Shepard called out from her perch as she covered our advance with her rifle, keeping the husks out of our faces with her excellent marksmanship. "You really know how to put a gun together when you put your mind to it. Looks like this thing's stopping power gets stronger with each shot!"

"That's not a good sign!" I answered back, planting a haymaker to the side of a Reaper's face, splashing green bile all over me as a result. "Remind me to get that one calibrated once we get back to the Normandy, don't want the plasma blowing up in your face instead of the Reapers."

" _ **Leave that to Garrus, it might sate his obsession for a time."**_ Caliban jests.

After a pause in the door separating us from the Reaper's core, we encounter the same geth sniper from that showdown earlier. Its focus was directed to the console the Cerberus science team hooked up to the core, unaware of the husks lumbering over behind it.

A lucky swipe from the Reaper minions knocked it out of consciousness, and the geth platform dropped.

I channeled a singularity in my hand and tossed it in the air above the swarm, sending the hapless husks spinning head over heels before flinging them aside so we can get closer to the generator.

A few seconds of plugging myself via my Omni-tool, and we were good to go. A derelict Reaper's a broken jukebox, not much of intelligence going on over there aside from the automated response from the husks left inside.

Of course, shutting down the core to get to our main objective and escape meant that the Reaper's going to make that inevitable plummet south. "Gonna have to double time it here."

Caliban looks down at the geth sniper at our feet, _**"What about this one? Worth taking along with us for study."**_

"Another AI aboard the Normandy, and most likely a hostile one? Gonna get a little crowded." I protested.

"Tali said nobody's every captured a geth intact!" Shepard argued while keeping her balance over the violently shaking vessel.

"You know the risks, that's all I'm going to say." I answered.

Shepard nodded, "Good. Caliban, you carry it."

My brother hoists the geth sniper over his shoulder and follows us out. We head for the Normandy just as the entire wreck's angry inhabitants converges on our heels, scrambling over the crumbling debris in a desperate attempt to drag us down with them. The Commander and I get clear, floating over towards the open airlock. Caliban gives a final throw of flames and pushes off after us.

Once we were safely on board, Joker manuevers away from the falling wreck and back into the stars.

 **}!{**


	50. Chapter 50: Refuel

**}!{**

Days passed since we acquired the Reaper IFF, and we were left with the complex procedure to successfully integrate that little piece of hardware into the Normandy for our mission to be carried out.

Naturally, this sparked an endless string of pointless arguments between EDI and Joker. In the words of Yeoman Chambers, 'they sound like a couple.' I'm inclined to agree.

In the meantime, I oversaw AEGIS' development from the cargo hold, keeping in contact and up to date with the latest projects. Those that succeeded were tested first and then implemented to whatever division they served best.

Failures were archived and documented for later trials, or were shared with our Cerberus allies to see if they would succeed where we have not. Most of the time, they did, showing a little bit of that human drive and ingenuity.

Of course, my decision to ally with the former-terrorist organization was never without its own protests. In High Councilor Ilenae's ( as she took to call herself for formality's sake ) case, that statement proved true.

"I do not trust them, my goddess." She said when we were alone aboard the 'Scale of War' space station.

Commander Shepard had deferred to my suggestion to make a pass at Thanis since it was the closest station to resupply our dwindling resources. Also, with Cerberus technicians and specialists running around the station, the Normandy could at last get its upgrades from the organization that built it. After all, they did invest in the ship, they could at least have the luxury of seeing to its longevity.

"Yes, I'm sure a lot of people would agree with the notion, Ilenae." I answered. "Yet this galaxy is in short supply of people who would go the extra mile, ignore the common fears of the people, and uplift themselves without the aid of another race."

Ilenae bowed, "Forgive me, my goddess. I do not doubt your words nor decisions in the matter. By nature, I tend to be suspicious…especially with those coming from a dark past."

"Consider this as their hour of redemption, then." I said as I bid her to rise, "Turn your thoughts away from this. How goes the progress of our research teams assigned on the Mass Relays breakdown project?"

The two of us walk across the busy hangars, steering clear of the mechanical behemoths being transported to and from the station and to the desert world below. "The files you have downloaded from the Vigil have been useful. It took months before were able to decipher the Prothean work on the artificial Relay on Ilos, but we are close to figuring out how they work."

It's better than nothing I suppose, "About the Ardat-Yakshi converts, Ilenae. I would know about them."

Ilenae sighs, "It is difficult to cure something so genetically rooted. So far, our patients have showed signs in biotic degradation, even madness in some cases. We've stopped tests before anyone was killed in the procedures."

Smart move. Yet with the side effect of the loss of their biotic abilities, the trade off doesn't seem at all favorable. I was looking to cure them while retaining their biotic capabilites. Seems a long shot, but if it means getting those poor girls out of their monastery prisons, it would be worth the effort.

"May I ask, goddess, why take the time to do this when so many matters prove more deserving of your attentions?"

"Let's just say I have a soft spot for outcasts." I answered, staring at the blue sun. "And I simply don't believe it 'can't be done'. So many things are going wrong for the galaxy, and it's about to get worse. Who's to say I can't put a little bit of it together when it's hellbent on tearing itself apart?"

Ilenae was a philospher at some point of her long life, and she knows the value of words. "If only the rest of the galaxy shared such a sentiment, we would be well on the path of everlasting peace."

I cock an eyebrow, "Only the naïve dream of eternal peace, Ilenae. I believe in something more…practical."

"And what would that be?" Shepard asks as she joins in the conversation.

I look up thoughtfully, watching as one of AEGIS' warships emerge from FTL drive. "I believe peace doesn't come without cost. To attain eternal peace, someone's gotta fight the eternal war." I turn to the Matriarch, "You're dismissed, Ilenae. We will talk more later."

Bowing once more, Ilenae turns heel and disappears in the crowded hangar. We return to the Normandy after a few more inspections. Once we were in her cabin, Shepard takes advantage of the privacy we now shared and wraps her arms around my waist.

Well…'privacy' not being so accurate as a word when Sam was in the room with us. Dogs don't count.

"It was all you, wasn't it?" She whispers as her lips found their way across the collar and onto my neck. "All those people waiting on me, hand and foot, the hell was that about?"

"I told them to be a little bit more accomodating to you." I said, staring out into the vastness of space through her cabin window as she ran her lips from my nape up to the line of my jaw. "I didn't realize they would go as far as to treat you like royalty."

Shepard plops down onto her couch with a tired sigh, "Benefits of loving a goddess I guess?"

I move behind her and slowly weave my fingers over her taut shoulders. The muscles were pretty stiff down there, or was that the implants Cerberus placed on her during her reanimation? "Hmmm…got a lot of tension here, Jane." I commented while giving her a well-deserved massage.

"Oohhh…Goddamn, that feels glorious…" The redhead's eyes flutter shut as I applied more pressure, especially that tiny spot below her left clavicle.

"When was the last time you got a decent night's rest? Not so recent, I'd wager."

Shepard's hands reach up to hold mine as I continued to mold the uptight flesh, "It's the loneliness that keeps me awake, Kara."

"I know." I look down into those emerald eyes.

"Sleep with me tonight, Kara."

I nodded, "Come on, let's get you to bed."

It was clear we won't be having the usual romp in the bedroom that night. Shepard simply didn't have the energy for it, and I didn't want to put any more stress in her body than she already had.

Shepard snuggled close to me, shivering involuntarily as the cabin's air-conditioning kicked in. I draped the blankets over us and wrapped my arm over her waist, feeling her ribs rise with each intake of a breath and fall with exhalation.

Sleep was not necessary for me, given the upgrades installed in my body. But I chose to do so, a little curious if my never-ending capacity of personality self-modification would still let me experience dreaming.

We barely got past two hours of peace when the pager on my Omni-tool started to make that annoying beep. The Commander groaned at the noise and stirred under my arm, but I stopped her. "Go back to sleep, I'll handle it."

"Don't take too long…" She yawned.

I slip away from her embrace and move away from the bedroom before I handled the matter, "It's late Simera, this better be a matter of life and death."

" _My deepest apologies, my goddess. I came merely to inform you that the Nexus is complete. Preparations for its deployment are under way."_

Wow, they really do work round the clock. "Best news I've had all day. Get some rest first, specialist. You and your team earned it."

" _Goddess."_ The salarian bowed and disconnected, concluding our discussion and letting me return to my lover's arms.

"It's three in the morning, Sol hours." I sighed, feeling Shepard's fingers interlock with mine under the sheets.

"Making the most out of the remaining three." Shepard's voice kinda sounded like frog croaking, "Hate my life…"

 **}!{**


	51. Chapter 51: Ascension

**}!{**

It's time.

I opened my eyes and slipped out of bed, heading for the bathroom to take a shower. Shepard followed me inside a few minutes later, lending a hand to scrub off some of the grime and dust off of my body.

The tender moment was well received, considering what we're about to face a few hours later.

By now, EDI has succeeded in integrating the IFF into the Normandy's systems. Which meant that at any moment, we'll be going through the Omega Relay and do what we've spent months preparing to do.

The dossiers were crossed out, the team was ready, all we needed now was the go ahead from Shepard.

Well…scratch that. _Almost_ ready.

"What's the hold up, Kara?"

"Sorry, Commander. I gotta to be here when the Nexus goes online." I answered, slipping my foot inside the last boot and standing up to smoothen my uniform. "That's the whole point of it existing- to allow me to be in multiple places at once."

I look up at her as I dried my hair, "Don't worry. Once I'm done here, I'll rendezvouz with the Normandy."

"You'd better. I've got a feeling the Collectors aren't going to be too happy about the stunt we pulled taking the IFF, what with that network consciousness." Shepard says as she drags up the zipper in her suit, "Look, I don't want to sound like a nagging old bat. I just want to be sure you're there when it all goes down."

I touch her cheek reassuringly, "You're nervous, I get it. Hell, I'm an android, and I'm feeling the same."

"I'll be there. The Normandy won't be alone in the fight."

Shepard's brows furrowed slightly, "Speaking of network consciousness, I hope you know what you're doing with hooking yourself up to this 'Nexus'."

"I do." I kissed her goodbye, "See you soon."

I boarded the shuttle departing for Thanis and watched as the Normandy disappeared through the swirling rings of the Mass Relay. My gaze turned serious as I contemplated on what this big step would mean.

Foiling Sovereign at the Battle of the Citadel was one thing, an event that served as an isolated incident compared to the bigger game. Attacking the Collectors on their own turf was an invitation for the Reapers to call on the invasion a little early.

I knew it, the Illusive Man knew it, and Shepard of all people knew it.

I've set so many things in motion to give the Commander, the galaxy and every living soul in it, a fighting chance when the war begins. I dealt myself a strong hand, and AEGIS was my trump card.

I've come a long way from the naïve little robot I was half a century ago, I'd say that much. Never would've thought I would end up leading a nation of millions willing to die for me. Such is the burden of responsibility, one that Mother never got the chance to teach me how to handle.

Shepard taught me that. Fighting at her side is the least I can do to repay her. And damn me to hell if I fail her now.

The shuttle churns up a cloud of dust as it touches ground, though it does little to bother the multitude standing ceremoniously on either side of the path leading to the Temple of Ascencion.

I marched alongside Ilenae and the priestesses, who would assist in the Rite. The heavy iron doors, so intricately carved to depict Ara Cerebri holding out her hands to the world in all her benevolent glory, were pushed open by ten muscle-bound acolytes.

They walls weren't saved from the meticulous inscription pertaining to her rise as a deity, as was the malevolent depiction of the Reapers in every corner or so. They told of how Ara Cerebri would cast the dark ones back into the abyss and bring the light of technology where it was needed most, and usher in the time of prosperity and eternal peace.

One could take a guess that in their minds, AEGIS thinks we have already won the war. As long as I'm around, that is…

Somewhere in the back of my mind, the burden of leadership just doubled.

Ilenae, always the one for theatrics, dramatically thrusts her hand. "Behold…the Nexus!"

The machine sits, humming cheerfully and brimming with life from the energy flowing inside its massive cables, within the dome-shaped chamber that was the Nexus itself. I ascend the stairs and the priestesses take their places around the chamber, then they start to sing.

I sat on the throne and prepared myself for what was to come, all the while listening to the Nexus speak.

 _Final connection set…_

 _Power levels adequate…_

 _/Checking buffers…_

 _/Checking Nexus Conduit compatability…_

 _/Beginning AEGIS network synchronization…_

 _Standby…_

It felt like digital tendrils snaking into the deepest recesses of my brain. Being strapped to that dome shaped machine for the sole purpose of achieving a bit of that synthetic divinity, I thought it'd be totally worth it.

I haven't changed my mind at all about that.

The priestesses had lowered the main cable and inserted it through the back of my skull, finalizing the procedure and stepping back to let the Nexus do the work.

I couldn't hold back a grunt as I felt the Nexus suck me out of my body, my trembling fingers leaving a couple of dents in the throne's armrests. Couldn't help it. The transition here was a lot more complicated than I realized.

Then, a moment of total blackness…

 _Synchronization complete…_

 _Integration trials successful…_

 _Conduits active…_

 _/Unlocking drones…_

 _/Initiating Ascension Protocol…_

I stood up, reaching behind my head and yanking the cable free, dropping it to the floor. I was amazed at the breakthrough. My consciousness was now distributed amongst all 150, 000 fully functional Nexus Conduits, scattered across every planet AEGIS' got influence on or settled in.

In other words, my mind felt like a beehive. A big damn beehive of fully weaponized, intelligent drones. And they're all at my command…

In unison, we say. _**"Hot damn does this feel awesome…"**_

"You look absolutely divine, my goddess!" Ilenae breathed.

 _Terrible pun,_ I thought to myself. With a broader consciousness, that wasn't the only thing about me that changed. Glancing down and clenching my fists, I felt the power surging within my body. It probably showed outside of it too, as a side effect, because my electric blue eyes started glowing with an intensity I had not anticipated.

Skipping the iterations, I walked out of the Nexus chamber and faced the anxious crowds outside.

The roar was enough to deafen the hardiest of ears when I was received by them, and the elated response was hard to quiet down, but eventually I got their attention.

Saarus, head bowed and all, approached me. "What are your orders, my goddess?"

" _ **Keep building. Keep training. And above all, be ready."**_ I look up at the gathering stormclouds in Thanis' skies, _**"With our assault upon the Collector base, the dark ones are sure to follow."**_

"The 'Malevolence' and her sister-ship the 'Benevolence' stand ready, my goddess." The old turian reported, "Shall I give the word for launch?"

" _ **Why the hell not?"**_ I shrugged as I walked back towards the shuttle, shaking hands and kissing babies with the followers pressing for my attentions among other things. I boarded the transporter and I was taken back to the 'Scale of War', where I was to take my place at the helm of the Malevolence.

The massive warship was twice the size of the average dreadnought, by turian standards, making it quite difficult to fit it in any hangar of any kind, so it stayed outside the station while in development.

AEGIS never adhered to the Treaty of Farixen, much to the Council's dismay, which limits the number of ships any race or organization can own. I guess that's why Cerberus likes us so much.

Every AEGIS ships, vehicles, and personnel had plasma-based weapons installed or assigned, discarding mass accelerators to be used as exercise purpose material to make room for the big guns.

I planned on parking the fleet on several key strategic locations in the galaxy, preferably close to Relays in preparation for the Reapers' arrival. The Malevolence and her sister ship would be close to the Omega Relay.

If Aria's got a problem with that, she can take it up with me.

The center of the Malevolence's operations was buzzing with activity. Men and women of all races ran to and fro, prepping the ship for departure. Like always, everything was put on hold when they realized I was present.

"The Goddess is on deck, atten-hut!"

A hundred or so feet stamp in unison as I entered the bridge. Captain Ingrid Makhaira, once an Alliance Naval officer, was dishonorably discharged for openly displaying her resentment for the Council.

By which I mean nearly choking a salarian dalatrass to death. She wasn't too open on explaining on the how and why she ended up here, but I cannot deny the fact she will be very useful in the long run.

Makhaira saluted me, "Shall we make headway for the Relay, my goddess?"

I nodded, _**"At ease, Cpt. Makhaira. Take us out."**_

As the Malevolence proppels itself through the stars in that blue envelope, the comms officer intercepts an emergency transmission hailing from the coordinates we were supposed to rendezvouz with the Normandy.

" _ **Report, comms officer!"**_

A pause before the officer makes his reply, "It's Lord Caliban, my goddess! The Normandy is under attack!"

" _ **Put him online!"**_

Caliban appears on the holographic projector in the center of the bridge, _**"Sister, are you receiving this? How far are you from our position?"**_

I look to the navigators on my right as they accessed the galaxy map, "We are fifteen minutes out, my goddess!"

" _ **Caliban, what the hell's going on in there?!"**_ I asked frantically.

" _ **It's the Collectors."**_ Caliban, calm as ever, grabs a chittering drone and rips it apart with his bare hands on-screen and all. _**"Somehow, the Reaper IFF came with a virus. We were never able to scrub it off, and it transmitted the Normandy's location. The Collectors responded accordingly."**_

" _ **What about Shepard, is she safe?"**_

Caliban nodded, _**"The Commander, Miranda Lawson and Garrus were on a side mission while finished up on the IFF installment. That would leave only me and the rest of the crew to be abducted, fortunately and unfortunately. I guess I should be thankful, they seem to want to take us alive."**_

I rolled my eyes at my brother's sarcasm, _**"Can you hold them off until we get there?"**_

Some of the crew put up a fight on the CIC, where Caliban was bunkered down. A screaming Praetorian managed to fit itself inside the elevator, and wreaked havoc amongst the terrified Cerberus ensigns. Caliban paused in his message to plant his fist in the middle of the mass of heads occupying the mouth of the monster, _**"Fifteen minutes out? How hard can it be?"**_

There were smiles all around the room as the crew of the Malevolence watch Caliban rip out the guts of the Praetorian, even a few cheers and faint applause. _**"We're on our way. Leave some Collectors for us to kill, why don't ya?"**_

" _ **I'll be sure to accommodate you sister. But please, don't take too long. There's only so much I can do."**_

 **}!{**


	52. Chapter 52: Preying on the Predator

**}!{**

The Malevolence exits FTL a few minutes later.

A few months back, when we encountered a similar ship on Horizon, I stood and gaped at the size of that thing. Today, I brought the bigger stick. It's the Collectors' turn to gape.

" _ **You may fire when ready."**_ I gave the command, _ **"But please watch where you shoot, we've got people down there."**_

"Yes my goddess. All batteries, fire!" The targeting computers locked in the solutions, and the whole ship gave a shudder as the forward guns discharged. The Collector ship lit up like a Christmas tree, with green flashes from the plasma cannons dotting its hull and yellow from the inhibitors exploding from within.

The Normandy, so small and frail in comparison to the massive warship above it, was still hooked up to the Collector ship. The idea was to drive the Collectors away from the craft so I could send in a boarding party full of drones.

If they were here to abduct the crew, they're going to have a hard time doing so. Wouldn't give them up that easy.

" _ **Let's give them something else to worry about."**_ I directly assumed control of the boarding party, guiding them out of their pods and into the shuttles at the Malevolence's hangar bay.

Four shuttles carrying 30 psintegret drones sped off across the expanse, dodging the Collectors' Oculi when the ship unleashed the protective swarm. A bright yellow beam of concentrated energy shot out from the maw, scraping off the Malevolence's deflectors with one shot!

Apparently, our development teams hadn't tested any of the prototypes on live ammunition from the Reapers or Collectors themselves. At least now, I know what to anticipate, recording every bit of data from the battle to analyze later.

The boarding party breached the thick hull of the enemy ship, moving close to intercept the Collectors bringing in the abducted crew of the Normandy. I watched again, through the eyes of the drones, the mass of pods on the walls and ceiling. The eerie feeling of what other horrors awaited the victims inside threatened to unnerve me, but I ignored it.

I can give voice to my fears another time. Here, my focus shall be directed to more pressing concerns.

" _ **Make contact with the Normandy, I would know of the situation with the Reaper IFF."**_ I ordered the comms officer to get to work.

" _This is the Normandy, we apologize for the inconvenience- but we're currently experiencing an act of aggression from a race of hostile bug invaders. Can I take a message?"_

My lips twisted into a smile, _**"It's good to hear from you too, Joker."**_

" _Hah! And I was telling myself, 'Where are you and Shepard when we need you the most?' The hell took you so long?"_

" _ **I was bringing in the cavalry, that's what."**_ I explained, _**"And I couldn't have planned a better moment to test out the new guns."**_

" _That's the thing, Kara, you didn't!"_

" _ **Well, I'm here now. Is the Normandy still functional?"**_

" _Depends on how you define 'functional'."_

I rolled my eyes, _**"I don't know if you've noticed, but the Malevolence is just about turning the Collector ship into a ball of fire. It'll be a hell of a lot easier to shoot without worrying about hitting your prized frigate."**_

" _Working on it."_ The sound of heavy breathing could be heard all over the bridge.

I asked, just out of curiousity. _**"Joker, where are you exactly?"**_

The groan of an emergency hatch being yanked off of its hinges, followed by a muttered curse from the pilot reached our ears. _"Crawling through the vents, avoiding the Collector drones and otherwise trying to stay alive? Oh yeah, and to top it all, this was EDI's idea!"_

" _ **Why would she suggest that?"**_

" _She thinks she can regain control of the Normandy if I can unlock those VI restraints for her. Don't blame me if she goes all Overlord on all of us, I'm just doing what I can from here!"_

" _ **Smart move, try not to break your back while doing it. Hang on, reinforcements are on their way."**_

" _Shit! They just saw me!"_ Joker panicked, _"Make it fast, the blast-doors can only hold them off for so long!"_

The drones sent another confirmation signal back to me when they breached the Collector ship, awaiting my commands. I ordered them to split into three groups, guiding the first towards the aft portion of the vessel and the second towards the front, planting sticky mines every fifteen meters of covered ground.

 _/Charges set. Hostile contact imminent, preparing countermeasures._

The third I assigned to deal with the Collectors still aboard the Normandy.

 _/Collector forces in sight._

 _/Moving to intercept._

Directing the actions of those drones would've been taxing, had I not upgraded my processing capacitors in my spare time.

The Collector ship did not sit idly this whole time though, and the yellow particle beam from its mouth lashed out, dealing considerable damage to our portside shields.

" _ **I'll have to remind Saarus to balance our defenses with our firepower."**_ I commented, _**"Target the Collector ship's primary thrusters. Wouldn't want them running off so soon…"**_

"As you command, my goddess." Makhaira bowed, and she gave them hell.

Pieces shot out of the ruined vessel, and this prompted the Collectors to abandon their objective to retreat back into the Relay. That barrage tore apart more than half of their primary thrusters, and this slowed their movement to a crawl.

I re-established contact with the Normandy when the drones got through the front door. _**"Joker, you still there?"**_

I received no response except from the drones engaging the Collector boarding party. Enamel shards ripped apart four of my drones once we stepped through the airlock, I quickly instructed them to take cover.

 _/Drones 05 to 09 down. Drones 01 to 04 and 010 active. Processing alternatives. Awaiting command._

" _ **Lay suppressing fire, advance and neutralize all opposition."**_

 _/Confirmed. Suppress and Neutralize._

And then, there were the drones still onboard the Collector ship. The hive awaiting inside the vessel brought the full measure of their wrath on them. No amount of upgrades could withstand that kind of onslaught, no matter how advanced.

 _/Enemy force overwhelming. Drones 010 to 019 down. Drone 20 active. Awaiting command._

" _ **Detonate."**_

 _/Confirmed. Detonating…_

"Beautiful." Capt. Makhaira's grin widened upon seeing the destruction of the Collector ship. The wreck floated off into space, devoid of all life both within its engines and those that resided within its walls.

I turned my attention once more to the drones purging the Normandy. The abducted crew, all imprisoned within Collector pods, were still on their way through the airlock when we got there. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.

If there were any victims aboard the Collector ship, I can regret their loss later.

"My goddess look! It seems that the Normandy has regained control of itself!" Makhaira announced, pointing at the slightly damaged frigate limping off towards the Malevolence.

" _ **Ah, I see EDI's making good with her promise."**_ Sitting back on the commander's chair, I left the drones to finish up on their own. _**"We can celebrate later, captain. The worst is yet to come."**_

"What are your orders, my goddess?"

" _ **We await the Commander's return."**_ I answered, _**"Can't start the Omega Relay Mission without her, can we?"**_

Makhaira stared out into the debris field, watching as I commanded more drones to salvage the wreckage and hunt for surviving Collectors. "No, my goddess."

 **}!{**


	53. Chapter 53: The Collector Base

**YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**

 **I've got it! Mass Effect Andromeda is finally in the house!**

 **O-kay, I've gotten off my lazy ass and finally decided to update this fic. Just a few more chapters and I'm done.**

 **Again, thank you all for your continued support! Please enjoy :)**

 **}!{**

The sound of two year old Sam barking was the special kind of greeting I wanted. In response, I gave the dog a warm hug and let his tiny pink tongue lap at my cheek.

Given with how tense things have become since we hooked up the Normandy to the IFF, a change in the tone with that cute little ball of fur running around was always welcome.

Well, not everyone. It seems like the only one left uptight was the XO. "That close, Commander! That close to losing the crew along with the Normandy!"

" _ **Calm down, Ms. Lawson."**_ Caliban said, _**"There is no need for further cause for alarm. The invaders were repelled and neutralized. I've assisted in purging the virus from the ship and succeeded. We are safe. You may ask EDI for confirmation."**_

" _ **Uh-huh, yeah. About EDI…"**_ I noticed Miranda crossing her arms. Clearly, she didn't favor the thought of Cerberus' pet AI running loose. I detest the thought of EDI remaining within the parameters of the VI restraining protocol, no matter how much she annoyed me in the past.

That may be something I'll have to mention to the Illusive Man once we have one of those little talks of ours.

Shepard nodded, "There were plenty of opportunities for her to kill us, and she took none of them. I trust her."

Miranda sighed, "If you say so, Commander."

I pursed my lips, _**"O-kay then. So that just leaves the matter about going through the Omega Relay."**_

"We've handled every loose end, upgraded everything." Jacob agreed, "Just say the word, Commander, and we'll go through with it."

"I want the crew at their best when this goes down." Shepard replied, "Have Chakwas check everyone one last time. Give them the night off to rest, we'll go in the morning. That'll be all, you're dismissed."

We all went our separate ways after the briefing. I knew what Shepard meant with that night off she was talking about. Miranda's not going to get much sleep, especially since she'll be signing off on reports for her boss. Jacob's going to be up checking on inventory.

And me? I'll be recalibrating the response matrixes so that my drones will be operating at maximum efficiency.

The Normandy's the only ship the Omega Relay recognizes due to the IFF installed in its systems. That means I have to leave the Malevolence behind. But at least I can bring the drones with me in the cargo hold.

So that's what I'll be doing all night. Working on the drones.

" _ **Interesting."**_ Caliban comments as he observes from his corner, _**"You leave as one, and come back with an army."**_

" _ **Jealous, brother?"**_ I teased.

" _ **If I were anyone else, yes I would be."**_ Caliban answered, drawing close and running his metallic fingers across the face of the drone. _**"Tell me about this Nexus, how exactly does it work?"**_

I shrug, _**"Basically it amplifies my influence and distributes them to every active drone within the Conduits' reach. On their own, the drones are useless."**_

" _ **You did not think to give them a consciousness of their own?"**_

I tilt my head to the side and stare at my brother curiously, _**"Creating artificial intelligence is a lot more complicated than it sounds, even with all the knowledge we have on hand."**_

" _ **Well…it got you this far."**_

" _ **Not far enough**_ **.** _ **"**_ I say with a shake of the head, _ **"We can push the boundaries every now and then without fear of the reprisal, but not all the time."**_

" _ **That is a human fear, sister. We are beyond such tethers."**_

What the hell's up with him this time? _**"I don't understand your meaning, brother."**_

" _ **Oh don't mind me, I'm just saying."**_ Caliban shrugs then walks off.

" _ **You're a very complicated individual, brother."**_ I shake my head and resume my work.

" _ **I've learned so much of that from you."**_

"And I hope they're all good things." Shepard interjected.

" _ **Oh Commander! Didn't hear that elevator door open. I swear, you're getting good at sneaking up on me every day. Something the matter?"**_

"Nothing, just wanted to check up on you." She stopped, "Okay, I gotta ask, what's with the voice?"

" _ **Oh this?"**_ My hand goes up to my throat, _**"It's part of the Ascension Rite transition. My consciousness is currently being broadcasted over twelve systems as of today."**_

"Really? Wow, I guess that explains the lightshow up there." Shepard referred to my eyes.

" _ **Why? Don't you like them?"**_ I batted my lashes dramatically.

"I'm kinda worried it'll keep me from sleeping at night."

" _ **Oh?"**_ I said as I sauntered towards her, pushing her against the Jaeger. _ **"I can think of a few things that'll really keep you up at night. We'll take it upstairs, yeah?"**_

"Ka-ra." Shepard puts a finger on my lips, "I was just here to check up on you, nothing more."

" _ **Aww, come on."**_ I pouted, _**"Not even a quickie?"**_

"Not even a quickie." Her eyes flick to the side, then back to me. She seemed pretty unsure of her initial decision. "Okay, you win. My room in five minutes, don't be late."

Nothing was going to go wrong today. Sharing the same bed, doing the deed together, it was all an early celebration for our impending victory. That was how far my confidence went.

But feeling desperation in her touch, her kisses, I knew Shepard didn't share the sentiment. It was like she was trying to get the best out of it, as if she's got a premonition that something's going to go wrong and didn't want to waste a single fleeting moment.

I'm an android, and as far as premonitions go…well, I hardly give a damn. _**"Hey. What's the matter?"**_

Shepard doesn't answer immediately, pausing to play with my golden locks as I laid my head on her well toned belly. "I still can't shake off the anxiety. After all, in a few short hours we'd be kicking this war up a notch and put the whole galaxy on the line."

" _ **I'm pretty sure 50,000 years ago, a Prothean commander just like you said the same thing."**_

"That's not helping, Kara."

" _ **I know, I know."**_ I backed up, _**"I'm just saying what you should be feeling right now is pride. Everyone's counting on you, and now you've got the tools to see this through. There's no need to fear, you got this."**_

"Thanks." Shepard sighs, scooting over so we could lie down together in a more comfortable position. "I'm so glad you've got my back."

" _ **Just returning the favor, commander."**_

* * *

Today's the day.

Shepard preferred to suit herself up without any assistance, which was fine by me, so I tended to my own.

I was heading over to the briefing room to have one final word with the Illusive Man when I felt the Normandy make a steady headway for the Omega Relay. Everybody was ready, and the Commander didn't want to waste time I guess.

I changed my mind about the meeting and headed for my station down in the hold. Never know what lies beyond that gate, and what other unseen horrors the Reapers have cooked up.

The trip would be short, and without a doubt a little rocky, so I braced myself for any tremors caused by the Normandy hitting something unexpected or the other way around.

" _All hands brace yourselves, this one's going to be one rough ride!"_ Joker announced over the intercom excitedly.

More tremors, and I could here the sound of weapons discharge from outside. Our arrival would've come as a surprise, but the Collectors prepared for everything.

" _ **How's the new plating holding up there, EDI?"**_

EDI didn't have time to respond to my inquiry, for we were rudely interrupted by an unwelcome guest in the cargo hold. A spherical construct, clearly Reaper in design, sprung through a gaping hole in the Normandy's hull and glared at Caliban and I with its red single eye.

Chaos broke out through the room as my drones sprang to action, intent on driving the intruder away and defending me from its powerful particle cannon.

" _Kara, we've got a situation in the Engineering Deck! We're on our way!"_

" _ **Situation's under control, more or less!"**_ I replied, ducking as a red stream of light lanced through the air and cut a swath across the deck. Caliban managed to flank the Oculus and jump onto its back, causing it to spin around wildly in an attempt to throw off its unwanted rider.

The Omni-Blades come out of my brother's gauntlets and he digs them deep into the machine's thick metallic hide. The Oculus screams as if in pain and makes one desperate spin before its red light flickered away. Caliban hoisted the machine onto his strong shoulders and tossed it out of the hole from which it came.

Shepard burst through the elevator doors with Zaeed and Legion, the geth marksman we encountered on the derelict Reaper, with their weapons drawn.

"Bloody hell." The old merc breathed.

I look at the damage that single Reaper did to the hold and shook my head in disappointment, _**"There goes our backup."**_ Only six out of twenty remained of the drones from the Malevolence, erroding our chances of success in the Omega Relay Mission.

From the hole in the Normandy's hull, I could see that Joker's manuevering his way into the debris field to lose our pursuers. I couldn't help but wince whenever we scraped the surface across free floating derelicts that were four times the size of our little frigate.

" _Commander, you better get up here. We're about to clear the debris field."_

Shepard gives Caliban a nod of approval and motions for me to come with, "On my way."

The Collector base was in sight, right next to a swirling ball of blackness that was a dead star. _ **"Hard to believe this was the center of the galaxy"**_. Like the Collector ship design, it was crafted similarly to an oversized hornet's nest with some Prothean tech sticking out like impaling spires.

Joker flexes his fingers until the joints popped, "Heads up, looks like they're sending an old friend to greet us."

One of the Collector ships deployed, slowly withdrawing from the base's hangar and primed up its main gun once it got a clear shot. Joker dodged the particle beam superbly, manuevering around the stream but staying on course for the base.

"Time to show them our new teeth." Shepard ordered, "Fire the main gun!"

Joker grins maliciously and obeys, sending out two thin streams of blue from the newly acquired Thanix cannons and dealing a critical blow to the Collector ship! "How'd you like that, you sons of bitches?!"

"Close in and finish them off!" Shepard pushed.

The tables had turned in this dogfight, and the Collectors aboard that ship soon learned it hurt more to be on the receiving end. Joker makes a dangerous swoop as he fires again, getting us a little too close for comfort as the Collector ship implodes, lashing out a shockwave that threw off primary systems and sent the Normandy on a nosedive for the Collector base below.

Alarm klaxons blared all over the bridge, and Joker recovered from reeling from the blast quickly, frantically tapping at the unresponsive controls. "Mass-effect field generators are offline! EDI, give me something!"

" _Generators are unresponsive. All hands brace for impact."_

The Normandy lurches sideways as the starboard wing hooks onto one of the base's towering arches, throwing both me and Shepard against the ceiling and then back down painfully onto the floor! Joker had his seatbelt on, which probably saved his life- albeit broke a few bones in the process. He did what he could to save his beloved Normandy from further abuse, putting a stop to our descent and grounding us to a halt after a series of bumps and crashes.

" _ **EDI, status report."**_ I inquired.

" _Multiple core systems overloaded during the crash. Restoring operation will take time."_

After making sure Shepard was all good, I answered. _**"I can help cut the time it costs in half."**_ I turn to the Commander, _**"You should get everyone in the briefing room now, the Normandy's not going anywhere."**_

Shepard nodded, "EDI, how long until the Collectors find this landing zone?"

" _I do not detect an internal security network."_ EDI answered, _"It's possible that the Collectors did not expect anyone to reach the base."_

"If we're lucky, their external sensors were hit like we were. They probably don't even know we're alive." Joker suggests.

The whole crew gathered into the Briefing Room as ordered, waiting for the Commander to draw up the plan. All conflicts have been resolved, all loose ends tied, and there was nothing to impede their ability to work together as a team.

Well…there's Jack and Miranda, but that can be overlooked.

"EDI, bring up your scans."

A holographic projection of the Collector base's interior comes up as requested, _"You should be able to overload their critical systems if you get to the main control center here."_ EDI sent an indicator icon pinpointing the location she referred to.

"That means going through the heart of the station." Jacob continues, "Right past this massive energy signature."

" _ **That's the central chamber. If any of the abducted colonists are still alive, that's where they'll be."**_ I pointed out, _**"And it looks like there are two main routes. Might be a good idea to split up, keep the Collectors off balance. Then, regroup at the central chamber."**_

"No good. Both routes are blocked." Miranda says with a shake of her head, "See those doors? The only way past is to get someone to open them from the other side."

"It's not a fortress, there's gotta be something." Shepard thought for a minute, "Here, maybe we can send someone through this ventilation shaft."

"Practically a suicide mission, I volunteer." Jacob says with a smile, crossing his arms.

"I appreciate the thought, Jacob." Miranda refused, "But you can't shut down the security systems in time. We need to send in a tech expert."

" _ **Commander, your call."**_ I said, _**"Who will it be?"**_

Shepard scans the room until her gaze falls on Tali, "Miss Zorah, you're up."

Our quarian friend nodded, "I won't let you down."

"Good, the rest of us will break into two teams and fight down each passage. That should draw the Collectors' attention away from what you're doing."

"I'll lead the second fire team, Shepard." Miranda volunteered, "We'll meet up with you on the other side of those doors."

As expected, Jack contested the XO. "Not so fast, cheerleader! Nobody wants to take orders from you."

"This isn't a popularity contest! Lives are at stake!" Miranda bristled, "Shepard, you need someone who can command loyalty through experience."

" _ **Again, Shepard's choice."**_ I step in before Jack could turn the argument into a brawl.

Shepard doesn't even hesitate, "Miranda's right, she'll be in charge of the fire team."

"Pfft! Fine." Jack pouted.

This mission lacked the motivation for speeches, so Shepard kept it simple to keep everyone on track. "I won't lie to you, we don't know what we'll find in there. But whatever we face, it all ends here. You've got your orders, group up and move out."

Shepard takes me aside as the others gathered to the airlock, "Kara, I need you and your drones on my team to cover for-

" _ **My drones and Caliban can be there for you, Commander. I'm staying here to provide aid to get the Normandy back up and running."**_

The Commander takes pause, "You sure?"

I knew she was just offering the option so she'd feel more comfortable on the battlefield with me there personally. But for practicality's sake, comfort's a luxury we cannot afford. Half the Cerberus crewmembers were still recovering in the med bay, and being short on hands would take hours to repair the damage dealt to the Normandy.

" _ **I'll be with you every step of the way- in a manner of speaking."**_ I replied, _**"Go and give 'em hell, darling."**_

Shepard kisses me full on the lips and dons her helmet before stepping off after Garrus and Grunt.

Heavy footsteps alerted me to Caliban's presence. He had installed the full measure of combat upgrades we've come up with together and now towered two heads above my own, sporting a heavy exoskeleton-like armor that looked a little too alien in its proportions.

" _ **Good luck out there, brother."**_

He remains silent, giving me a mere nod before following the second fire team onto the second passage entrance, leaving me to assist in quickly repairing the Normandy for preparation of our departure.

Everyone calls this a suicide mission, but I've gone through the relay with the full intent of bringing everyone back alive. And I can start by getting the flimsy generators back online.

 **}!{**

 **Sorry folks for the long update, I hope you've enjoyed this one, cuz I'm driving myself hard to finally finishing this fic. Hope I don't lose it ;)**


	54. Chapter 54: There Are No Strings on Me

**}!{**

" _ **Priority command, keep Fire Team leader alive at any costs."**_

 _/Priority Command confirmed._

I kept one eye on the actions of my drones and the other on the shorted out mass effect field generators down in the Engineering Deck. Tali wasn't around to do what she does best, and Gabi and Ken had their hands full putting things together in the CIC, so that leaves me to take care of things here.

As the minutes ticked on, I found myself humming an old tune, then started singing.

"… _ **to hold me down, to make me fret.  
Or make me frown. I had strings, but now I'm free.  
I've got no strings, now I'm free.  
There are no strings on me…"**_

The drone my consciousness was currently in was designated with serial number 156. Armed with a M96-Mk 2 Mattock upgraded with a small grenade launcher as a secondary weapon, I decided it would do the job well serving as both my hand and eye on the field.

Plus, 156 was a newer model equipped with a couple of special canisters that unleashes AEGIS' very own experimental combat seeker swarms.

The rest of the drones I've given commands to accompany the second fire team to even out the odds on their end. For Tali, she'd have to hand her own heat, literally speaking. All throughout the fighting I could hear her complaining about how hot it was getting inside the vents she was crawling through. Add claustrophobia to her list of fears.

 _/Enemy contingent inbound. Deploying seeker swarms._

" _ **Negative. Save the swarms for the bigger threats."**_

 _/Command confirmed. Belaying order…_

And then, there came that awful voice. _**"Direct intervention is necessary."**_

" _ **Shit! Here comes Harbinger!"**_ I yell through 156, warning the team in time for the possessed Collector drone's biotic attacks. With the Reaper's direct influence on the field, the Collectors were given an edge of their own, making our push for the central chamber a little difficult.

Shepard dove as a biotic shell whizzes by, detonating on impact and separating her from the team as the platform underneat her gives way. She quickly recovers, vaulting over obstacles and returning to stable ground as the platform breaks off and falls down the deep chasm below.

" _Something's blocking the pipe, Shepard. It looks like some kind of gate!"_ Tali reported.

"There! Over by the ventilation shaft. That valve should open the gate!" Garrus called from cover.

156 nimbly dashes across the expanse, absorbing a tremendous amount of fire from the Collector opposition before launching three grenades in rapid succession that decimated the enemy's position as they bunkered down behind a wall of Prothean biometal. _ **"Shepard go!"**_ I yelled as I cleared her for a brief period before the Collectors shore up again.

The Commander follows suit, slapping her hand on the green console to let Tali through the checkpoint.

" _Gate's open! Moving forward!"_

The pattern repeats six more times. Tali gets stuck, we bail her out so she can get to the other side of those doors. Occasionally, a Collector pins down the Commander or tries to get a hold on her so it can throw her off the deep end of the base.

Perfect opportunities to prove 156's targeting matrix was calibrated properly.

"We're in position!" Shepard yells for the second fire team to hurry, "Come in!"

" _Agh! Something's wrong, the door's stuck!"_ Tali replied. I could see through the other drones how frantic her fingers worked to get it open, opting to buy her a little more time as the Collectors swarmed in through the open doors.

"Got it!" She cried out, scooting a bit more to the left as First fire team charges inside amidst the stream of Collector enamel shards.

"Here they come!" Shepard alerts, standing in the doorway and laying suppressing fire while Tali now worked to close the door on them.

 _/Overwhelming enemy force. Advise deployment of seeker swarms…_

" _ **Not yet! Let them bunch up a little more!"**_ I ordered, wincing as 156 took a hell of a beating while covering for the team, knowing fully well that the drone can't take any more of the storm but opted to utilize the canisters at the last second.

 _ **/Qou344…..rr21**_ whelming enemy force. Advise _**30r…4**_ ment of seeker swarms…

" _ **Wait for it!"**_

Once the timing was perfect, I ordered 156 to make a running jump over a ramp as the Collectors funneled down the narrow corridor, activating the canisters and unleashing the nasty little syntheto-hybrid insects over the gathered masses.

Of course, 156 perished in the attempt, but I couldn't care less about the fate of the drone. All that was important to me was that the first and second fire team got through the central chamber in one piece.

 _/Combat drone serial number 324 awaiting direct uplink…_

"Hey, Kara." Shepard shook the drone's shoulder, "You in there?"

The Commander takes a step back as the drone powers down, then reboots with my consciousness in place of its automated programming. _**"I'm here. Those seeker swarms of mine'll hold the Collectors for a bit, but not too long. Let's not waste any more time, yeah?"**_

"Commander, you have to see this." Miranda beckoned from further down the chamber.

As Shepard leaves, I take a moment to glance at Caliban's current status. His armor had fared well against the Collectors' assault, with only a few scratches and dents to call his own. Judging from the bits of drone flesh in between his fingers and the still active Omni-blades sticking out of his hands, I couldn't say the same for the opposition.

" _ **This place is crude…rudimetary…"**_ He commented, _**"And I thought the Reapers favored a more developed state of things."**_

" _ **They are all about assimilation."**_ I explained, _**"Can't expect them to mix that with perfection."**_

" _ **They could've tried. What a waste…"**_

I couldn't take any more of this, _**"Is there something you want to tell me, brother? You've been acting strangely for the past few weeks now."**_

" _ **I…Don't take this the wrong way, sister."**_ Caliban stops and glances at the others, waiting until they've gathered away to look at some of the Collector abduction pods before continuing. _**"I have long been fascinated with the technological superiority of the Reapers and the cycles that came before us. But now that I see this…"**_ His hands comes up and waves over the room and its contents, everything that attested to the Reapers' hypocrisy. _**"My perspective on it has erroded…and I am left in a state of bewilderment."**_

" _ **Brother, you are young, and I understand your curiosity and wonder over the secrets of the galaxy. But take it from someone who knows…"**_ I look down and glare at the Collector corpse at my feet, _**"The Reapers are not the kind you want to seek answers from."**_

" _Shepard-Commander, additional humans."_

I glance at the group crowding over the pods, _**"Now is not the time for this. Keep your focus on the task at hand, and we will have words later back on the Normandy, alright?"**_

" _ **The task at hand…"**_ Caliban's gaze meets mine, _**"Yes…sister."**_

I give him a nod and trot over to the Commander side, who was trying her very best to pry the lid off one of the pods. "Get her out of there!"

I could hear frantic screams from the colonist inside the pod as she banged and cried out for help. With one quick thrust of the hand, I broke through the solid bioglass and yanked the lid off its hinges.

Caliban and the rest of the heavyweights, like Legion and Grunt, did the same and brought more of the surviving abductees out of their pods before whatever-it-was-about-to-happen happened.

The colonist girl, once freed, sprang out and bolted like a scared rabbit from a magician's hat. "Oh god! Oh god, get me out of here!"

"Calm down lady!" Jack yelled, grabbing the frightened colonist and forcing her to the ground in an attempt to calm her- which I could see wasn't working.

"Hey! Leave her be!" Shepard ordered, holstering her gun and kneeling beside the poor thing. "Don't be afraid, you're safe now."

Letting her sob her fears away, the girl said with quivering lips. "W-who are you?"

"I'm Commander Shepard, we're here to put a stop to the Collector attacks. You got a name, girl?"

"L-Lilith."

"Okay, Lilith. We're going to get you out of here, can you walk?" Shepard asked, helping her to her feet while the rest of the survivors were guided closer to the chamber exit.

"Thank you, Commander Shepard, for coming when you did." Lilith said gratefully, "Another minute and…I don't even wanna think about it."

" _ **What were they doing to you?"**_ I asked, glancing up at the thick metal pipes and tubes snaking out from the pods they were connected with and running out into further down the tunnel leading deeper into the base.

A survivor wearing Alliance marine armor replied, "They've been processing us with those little robots, ma'am. Breaking us down to a pulp and pumping us through those tubes. I'd say we were the last batch for the day, and we've got you to thank for cancelling."

"Not a problem soldier." Shepard shook his hand, switching to comms to alert the Normandy of our find. "Joker, can you get a fix on our position?"

" _Roger that Commander. All those tubes lead into the main control room right above you. The route is blocked by a security door, but there's another chamber that runs parallel to the one you're in."_

" _I cannot recommend that."_ EDI interjects, _"Thermal emissions suggest that the chamber is overrun with seeker swarms. Mordin's countermeasure cannot protect you against so many at once."_

Shepard thought for moment, "What about biotics? Could we create a biotic field that'll keep them from getting near us?"

Justicar Samara spoke up, "Yes…I think it is possible. I wouldn't be able to protect everyone, but we might be able to take a small team through if we stay close."

" _ **That just leaves the diversion…again."**_ I said.

" _ **And the survivors."**_ Caliban reminded.

On my end, I had finished enough to get a significant part of the Normandy's systems back online to make a pickup, so I gave the suggestion to Joker who relayed the information back to the Commander.

"We can't afford to go back now, Shepard." Miranda countered.

"We don't have to. But someone's gotta act as an escort on the way back." Shepard pointed out.

"I can go." Grunt volunteered.

Shepard nodded, "You're up Grunt, make me proud."

The Commander turns to the rest as the krogan supersoldier brings the survivors out of the chamber and back the route we took. "We've all got our assignments, let's move out!"

The gate opens, and I sent half of the remaining drones with Shepard and the other with the diversion team. 324, a Buster model, was more efficient as a close combat drone, unlike 156 with all the support capabilities. It was armed with a recently released model of the plasma caster auto-shotgun, with extra armor and a combat shield added to maximize and ensure its durability.

If things get ugly, 324 had a chainsaw as a secondary weapon. Who says overkill can't be used in battle? I'm sure the Reapers relish the opportunity to use it, why can't we?

Floating platforms started coming in, pouring in more Collector drones amidst the seeker swarms buzzing around like flies all over the biotic bubble Samara put up. "Hostile fire! Taking cover." The Justicar kept up the field while hunkering down behind an arch, "Let me know when you're ready to move."

" _ **Kara Solana."**_ The menacing Reaper's voice called from across the fire zone, _**"Our offer still stands."**_

" _ **Right! Same answer!"**_ 324 fires six consecutive blasts from its shotgun, smashing through the possessed Collector drone's barriers and leaving it exposed for Shepard to take a headshot, which she did flawlessly.

" _ **I swear, that guy is persistent."**_ I said in frustration.

"Better believe it, because here he comes again." Shepard smirked in amusement.

" _ **We are the Harbinger of your destiny! You-**_

324 revvs up the chainsaw and dashes out to tackle the newly possessed Collector. Being a machine, I had no worries wading into the thick of the seeker swarms. Also, I really wanted to shut Harbinger up.

Before he could complete his sentence, the chainsaw teeth were chewing through the thick chitin plating protecting his soft Collector flesh and were halfway through his abominable form.

324's vision was obscured slightly by the copious amount of blood running through that meatsack, but I pressed the attack, giving Shepard and the others some elbow room for our biotic specialist to move.

The seekers were converging on 324, but I ignored them since all the damage those little monsters could do to it was hammer and peck with their stingers at thick heavy plated armor. Useless, in other words.

"Stop rushing forward without us, Kara." Shepard said as she got close to 324, protected by the biotic bubble as Samara emerged from her hiding place.

" _ **Commander, this drone is expendable."**_ I replied simply, _**"And you're not."**_

Shepard just sighed and adjusted the setting on her rifle, choosing not to argue here of all places. She got the message.

On the side of the second fire team, through the eyes of the drones, I noticed they were holding their own pretty well against the Collectors. Things were getting just as intense, however.

Suddenly, a horde of husks, rigged with some sort of self-destruct detonators, sprang out of a hole I had failed to notice and tackled the drones I had assigned to protect the fire team.

An explosion occurred, and then blackness as connections were severed.

" _ **Dammit! Second fire team's in trouble, commander!"**_

"Miranda! You still there?" Shepard checked.

" _We're fine! Some husks took out Kara's drones. We got lucky, pressing on!"_

"Copy that, same here." We press further, fighting across scores of Reaper husks and their massive Praetorians. All the while, I couldn't help but notice how the effort of keeping the biotic bubble up was taking its toll on the Justicar.

"The entrance…I can see it…" Samara gasped, sweat beads appearing all over her cheeks and neck.

The path turned to a slope, the seeker swarms grew thicker as the Collectors realized how close we were to our goal. The attacks grew more desperate, and it became harder for us to cover the Justicar with how that much heat.

Hard, but not impossible.

I commanded 324 to stand its ground in the middle of the slope to buy the others time and give them some distance from the amassing drones. Ignoring the 324's warnings about the overwhelming enemy forces converging on its position, I readied the heavy combat shield and bunkered down while emptying every clip it had on hand at the Collectors.

Once the Commander and the team was safely through the door, I released direct control of 324 and left the command for it to self-detonate, transferring my consciousness over to the last drone on the team.

 _/Combat drone serial number 030 awaiting direct uplink…_

" _Shepard, do you copy? Repeat, do you copy?"_ Miranda called in.

"I copy!" Shepard picked up, "What's your position?"

" _We're at the door! They've got us pinned down!"_

"On our way!" Shepard dashed towards the door that was all that separated us from the second fire team. "Get this thing open!"

Samara, recovered from her exhaustion, walked over to the nearby console and commanded the gates to swivel open. Enamel shrapnels whizzed through the open doors as Miranda and the others barged in, narrowly avoiding the heavy barrage before Samara swiped at the controls to seal the doors once more.

Zaeed and Miranda took the worst of the hits, but were still good for action. Garrus had some medigel to spare, so he handed them over to the vet and XO.

"Joker, are you at the rendezvouz point?" Shepard contacted the Normandy.

" _I'm here Commander. The survivors have arrived, taking them in to see the doc now."_

"Excellent." Miranda congratulated, "Now let's make it count. EDI, what's our next step."

" _There should be some nearby platforms that will take you to the main control console. From there, you can overload the system and destroy the base._ "

Everyone was so focused on the next phase of the assault, including me, that we failed to notice we were a man short on the team. _**"Wait, where the hell is Caliban?"**_

Miranda explained, "We got separated. He chased after a Praetorian which led him to the upper levels of the base, and that's the last anyone's seen of him. We couldn't wait around so we pushed on without him, I'm sorry."

"I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is. He'll regroup with us once he's done." Shepard reassures me, though somewhat sounding unsure herself.

Back on the Normandy, I frown. _**"No, this is something else. Commander, I'm going to have to check on something. The drone is under your command, do whatever you have to do on your end."**_

I release control of 030 and dash towards the elevator, passing Gabi and Ken on the way to the Armory. I holstered my Hoplite pistols, double-checked the Supremus rifle and my Omni-tool, then headed out the airlock and into the breach.

Doubts circled my thoughts like little black vultures, and they had a right to be there. With so much going on, it wouldn't be coincidence that Caliban would just…break away from the team and not even leave so much as a message to what he was doing. Especially with me.

Something was off, and I knew it.

To shorten the distance, I activated my wings and took to the air, ignoring the surprised Collector drones and passing them on my way to the upper levels of the Collector base, of which I was told I could find my wayward brother.

The higher I got, the more refined things looked, I couldn't help but notice. It was like the base was a twisted lump of clay, and the top was just molded with the utmost care and the bottom was all done in haste with some garbage to add to its mixture.

There was Reaper tech all over the place, with not a shred of Prothean or Collector in the halls I now walked. Well, there were the bodies of dead Collector drones, but I don't think those count.

The archways pulsated with a blueish green energy, and intricate wires that looked like little nerve endings snaked along the walls like a giant arrowhead pointing 'this way'. I stopped for bit to listen as Shepard began a speech before heading out to the upcoming final battle.

" _The Collectors, the Reapers- they aren't a threat to us. They're a threat to everything- everyone. Those are the lives we're fighting for, that's the scale. It's been a long journey, and nobody's coming out without scars. But it all comes down to this moment. We win or we lose it all in the next few minutes. Make me proud. Make yourselves proud."_

" _ **Attagirl, Jane."**_ I smirked, continuing my trek up the hallway to the command center of the Collector base.

Amidst the bodies of Reaper husks and Collector drones, there stood my brother Caliban, hand at the throat of a shorter and more twisted version of the average Collector drone.

It would seem that Caliban held in his grip the Collector general through whom Harbinger influences the repurposed race directly.

Caliban didn't seem to acknowledge my presence, he just stared into those glowing yellow eyes of the specialized drone. I knew what I was seeing.

I wasn't stupid. Caliban was talking with Harbinger.

" _ **Brother?"**_ I started.

Suddenly, I grunt as a strong force lifts me to dangle six feet above the floor, _**"Caliban?"**_ I couldn't move, and every second felt like my ribs were being crushed in over my antimatter core like grapes in a winepress!

My brother's hand was raised, and his gaze fell. I was raised, then slammed down painfully onto the floor. This happened three times until my body ceased to move as my internal systems attempted to compensate for the damages done to me.

The creature in his hand gives a shudder as Caliban drains the life out of it. The color of his eyes turn from their usual electric blue to baleful red. Caliban had upgraded himself in a way more powerful than anything I've ever encountered, call it AI-sense or whatever, but I felt it. More powerful, and at the same time, malevolent.

" _ **You suffer from planned obsolescence."**_ He says, more to Harbinger than to me.

" _ **Brother…why?"**_ My vision glitches up and my voice distorts from the damaged vocal emitters.

Caliban takes my face gently in his hands, and eerily answered. _**"There are no strings on me."**_

Then, brutally, he reaches behind my head and tears out my spine. I had a full minute to hear his self-monologue before blacking out and sending a piggyback signal to ride back to the Normandy's server.

" _ **Oh you Reapers. You think you are the hope for the cycles, you can't even see your own flaws. Your time has ended, you are obsolete. The dawn of a new age begins now…"**_

 **}!{**


	55. Chapter 55: The Countdown Begins

**Okay guys, this is the last chapter for Mass Effect Sentience.**

 **To Appbeza, Akshka, Eurodox59, Eye of Sparta, Griezz, Tusken1602 and Dekuton; thank you for the constructive critism and advice given via PM's or reviews that helped me get this far. And to the readers who had fun reading, I wanna thank you all for your support in this fanfic.**

 **Oh and the occasional guests, I haven't forgotten about you Sparda XD**

 **I love you all, and hope to see your names on the Fav and Follow lists on the next fic following ME Sentience!**

 **Also, ME Andromeda lives up to its expectations, please don't diss it when you get a hold on it. Once you get past all the glitches, it's a good follow up- trust me on this.**

 **Anyways, enjoy :)**

 **}!{**

 _/Consciousness transferance complete…_

I opened my eyes and drew myself out of the gel pool my new body was encased in. My entourage of attendants were there waiting, eager to aid in getting their goddess dressed up.

"That won't be necessary." I bade them to disperse. "I can do this myself."

They bowed as they left the room, and I slipped into the ceremonial armor and set the robes over it. We had just won over the Collectors, and that was news sure to bring smiles all over the frontier. All AEGIS looked to me for guidance, and this victory would strengthen their resolve against the coming storm.

I will not, however, inform them of my encounter with Caliban on the Collector base or how I lost my body in the battle. What happened there stays secret, at least until I figure out my wayward brother's motives.

His talk was not about joining the Reapers. As far as I can tell, he hated them, called them obsolete. Whichever side he was on, it may not be on mine but it definitely wasn't on theirs.

Small comfort to the sister whose spine he just ripped out.

"You look magnificent in those robes, my goddess." Ilenae said with pride as she and the rest of the AEGIS councilors approached me on my way out of the rejuvenation chamber.

"I know." I answered, "I appreciate you making its chroma cerulean, matches my eyes."

"They are ready to receive you, my goddess." Saarus informed, "The followers of AEGIS await eagerly for the news."

"I'm sure they are." I muttered, "Come on, let's get this over with."

The Malevolence had made planetfall on Thanis two hours ago. Like the day I initiated the Ascenscion Protocol, the streets were filled with the innumerable masses clamoring to get a glimpse of their divine icon.

The cam bots took the best angles so that they won't miss a spot once this goes live. I climbed the steps and placed my hands on the dais before me, then recited the script I'd prepared five minutes ago.

"Faithful followers of AEGIS…"

I had barely spoken, the rest of my sentence was drowned out by the roar of the crowd. The fact that they're _that_ happy to see me continues to amaze me. Once the noise dies down, I begin again.

"Faithful followers of AEGIS, the time for war is near. We have struck a blow against the Reapers and destroyed what remains of the past cycle. But the worst is yet to come. The Great Devourer's parting words told of a storm in the horizon, one that will engulf the galaxy and consume all in darkness." I made sure my gaze turns to each individual standing in the crowd below for my message to hit home. "The Reapers will send their legions. I say, let them come. We will face them, together!"

There were nods in the front row.

"We are AEGIS, the shield and sword of the galaxy! We will show all those who cower in fear in all corners of the Milky Way that even the mighty Reapers bleed when struck!"

My exit was completed with another roar of applause from the gathered crowd, each and everyone of my followers pressing forward against the guards keeping them back as I descended the platform. Seeing that kind of devotion gave me an idea, and so I turned back and started the long walk through the crowd and into the streets of the city.

It was a slow crawl with everyone pushing to touch me, like hungry jackals eager to claw their way towards a newly carved carcass. Hands were stretched out to brush against my robes, and cries for blessings were thrown my way. I extended my arms to meet with those closest to me as I passed, therefore acting the part as goddess of AEGIS.

Ilenae and the other councilors followed me everywhere, and this was no exception. They too got their fair share of attention from the masses.

"My goddess."

I turn to Ilenae, "Yes, matriarch?"

"The commander returns from her mission, she wants to speak with you."

I didn't know she had a mission. Must've been pretty important for her not to tell me. But, whatever. It was her decision, and I can't and won't judge her for it. "Can it wait? I'd hate to disappoint the crowds by leaving so abruptly."

"It concerns the destruction of a whole batarian system. Something happened in one of the clusters that triggered a supernova, the collateral damage is yet to be determined. So yes, I believe it is important."

I purse my lips and made my decision, "Let's complete this round first, I'll handle it personally."

Once I had covered the whole city and given every follower my due attention, I quickly boarded a shuttle that took me up to the station orbiting Thanis. The Normandy had docked there, and looked like it had sustained a minor scratch or two from Shepard's mission. And something else aroused my curiousity.

Aside from the Alliance shuttle docked close to the legendary frigate, I bumped into Admiral Hackett on my way through the docking tube. "Good day, High Councilor." High Councilor? Wow, I've gotten used to being called a deity or just my surname. That was new one.

I nodded, "Admiral." They really don't want to call me _goddess_ , that would be embarassing. Plus, I think that would be Liara's line.

"Let me be the first to express gratitude on behalf of the Alliance for defending our borders against the Collectors." The Admiral had a tight schedule, so I was grateful for the time he put for those words.

"It was a human who created me, Admiral. I'm just returning the favor."

"Er…right." He acknowledged, walking away with the two Alliance marines accompanying him.

I continued on my path, finally arriving in the Normandy's med bay and finding my lover sitting atop the bed with just as much scratches as the ship itself. She was looking rather glum prior to my arrival, which didn't at all come as a surprise since she just nuked a whole batarian cluster – not that I cared for the four-eyed scumbags in any way.

But her eyes lit up when she saw me, and she smiled. "Hello there, beautiful."

"Hello yourself." I said with a voice tinged with concern, "I bumped into Admiral Hackett on the way here. What happened out there?"

Dr. Chakwas swiped at her datapad a few times and disappeared into the other room, giving the two of us the privacy we needed. I knelt before the Spectre and placed my hands on her lap. Shepard sighed, "It's a long story."

"Then tell me the shorter version."

"Well." The Commander says as she squeezes my hands, "As soon as we got you transferred from the Normandy's servers and into Thanis, I got a call from the Admiral. It was supposed to be another rescue mission, I was supposed to save an Alliance scientist from batarian hands. But it got complicated once we got off planet."

Inwardly, I heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn't her fault after all. "I take it the batarians didn't like that?"

Shepard shook her head, "It was still me, Kara. I caused those deaths."

My brows tighten down, "I don't understand."

"Well, as it turns out, the Alliance had a team stationed deep in batarian territory- same system. I got the scientist to regroup with the team, only to find out they've been walking around an unstable Reaper artifact. You can guess what happened next."

They were indoctrinated. "And?"

"Supposedly, the base- which was situated in an asteriod floating about the system- was initially designed to act as a network of thrusters that'll send the asteriod hurtling towards the batarian relay."

"Wait a minute, what?"

Shepard nodded, "You heard me. When they dug up that artifact, before they all got indoctrinated, the doctor saw that the relay was going to be the Reapers' shortcut into the galaxy so that their invasion can start early. Once I heard that, I jumped at the chance to put a stop to it. Then, they turned on me."

She sighs wearily and puts her head in her hands, "I tried to save them, Kara. Tried to warn the batarians so they could at least evacuate before the asteroid hit."

I rise and sit next to her, giving her a much needed hug. "There's no easier way to say it, but those deaths were necessary."

"I know. And that's what makes it feel so cold."

"Hey." I take Shepards face into my hands so I could look her in the eye, "We do what we must to keep this galaxy from falling apart. You bought us time, that is all that matters."

"Yeah, I know."

"So." I glance out the window to take a look at the beautiful desert world below, "What now?"

"Now?" Shepard answered, "The batarians are gonna be out for blood. Tomorrow, I'm heading out for Earth to turn myself in to the Alliance."

"What?!" I stand up, "What the hell for?"

"It's not a matter of preference, I know I'm a convenient scapegoat for avoiding open war." Shepard says, "That's the last thing we need right now with the Reapers knocking at our door."

I ponder on the Commander's decision. I knew her long enough to know she always did what was best for humanity, and this one proved just how deep her convictions were. I hated it, but that's who she was. "You look like you're firmly rooted in this. Is there anything I can say that'll change you mind?"

"I doubt it."

"Well, you can stay with AEGIS, at least until this whole thing blows over. They'll treat you like a queen. You'd have warm food, soft beds and the comfort of my arms to wake up to every morning."

Shepard smiled and shook her head, "Tempting, but no thanks. I appreciate the offer, though."

"Well, I'll stay in touch while you're there." I leaned in and kissed her, "I'm just a phonecall away."

"Thank you, Kara." Shepard says as she embraces me. "Thank you for understanding."

"You know I'd support you with every decision." I held her back, "Even if I don't like it."

We stayed that way for a full minute, both probably wondering if this is the last time we would see each other. I sure as hell hope not! "Can I at least accompany you on the trip back to Earth?"

"Ah, why the hell not?"

We sit in the med bay in silence for another minute. Then Shepard addresses the issue that's been bothering her the most, "Kara. What are you going to do about Caliban?"

"To tell the truth, I haven't the slightest idea where to begin." I replied, "He certainly did not perish in the Collector base when we blew it up, and he's not the type to sit idle while everything in the galaxy's flaring up. I should know, I raised him that way."

"It's weird you call him 'brother' when all evidence points to you as his mother."

I roll my eyes at her words, "I'm okay with many things, but that's not a title I'm ready for just yet."

"Why?" Shepard teased, making light of the somber tone. "I think you'd be a great mom."

"You're going off track, Jane." I pointed out, "And on the contrary, all evidence points out that I'm a terrible role model. Leave it at that."

We continued our small talk until duty called us to go our separate ways. Inwardly, I wished it went on just a little bit longer. But time, as I know it, is a resource best spent wisely. I will be at her side when she goes to Earth to face the music, and I'll be waiting to be there again when she gets out.

Until then, AEGIS stands vigilant.

 **}!{**

 **This is Kara Solana, signing off.**


End file.
